By the time you reach episode eight (which could already scoop the award for the year’s best hour of reality TV), the tension is so unbearable that you will be glad the last two episodes are there for binging. Just be prepared for the stress-inducing final episode, which is pure shout-at-the-TV brilliance.

Between Cumming’s scenery-chewing and the whole dynamic between the reality stars and the civilians make The Traitors fun to watch.

The joy of this competition is that no one quite understands that there’s truly no obvious strategy to the game or immediate telltale signs of someone’s “traitor” status—at least in the first few episodes. ... The thoughtfully selected cast is obviously a huge part of the show’s winning formula.

A shame, then, that the The Traitors US, snapped up by the Beeb and now all on iPlayer, is heavily sprinkled with participants from other reality shows such as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Bachelor. .... It’s still good fun – I gleefully wolfed down the 10 episodes (all on iPlayer) – and Alan Cumming makes for a mischievous host.

The attempt is still worth watching, as the core concept seems too resilient to be ruined. But Peacock’s adaptation comes close enough to squandering the format’s potential that I wonder if it will gain much traction.