Americans are losing their minds over latest Traitors spin-off – it’s baffling

The Traitors is the TV franchise that keeps on giving, and finally, America has cottoned on to the show’s best format.

Yesterday, NBC and Peacock released their trailer for The Traitors: New Blood, sending shockwaves through the comments section on YouTube.

What is so baffling about this version, you might ask?

Instead of relying on celebrities (well, near enough), this time around the contestants are normies! Civilians! People Like Us™!

Of course, this is nothing new for Brits, who grew to love the show through characters like Amanda, Wilf and Maddy in season one.

But for the American crowd, who have only ever seen the US broadcasters gather B/C-listers for an elaborate game of wink murder, this is a totally new concept.

It’s shocking to read the responses from fans like @Marriedintheislands, who said: ‘I am so excited for normal folks to do this show and we get to know them as the show goes on. Everyone on even ground.’

As some people claimed was the case on the inaugural series of UK Celebrity Traitors, varying levels of fame among the contestants have the potential to start each famous face off on a different footing.

YouTuber Niko was the first to go from the group of TV personalities, established actors, and sporting names, raising questions about whether his status as an online figure, who was lesser known to the other players, contributed to him being banished at the very start.

Were people less willing to trust him? Did alliances not run as deep?

Besides, some of the best moments have come from the non-celebrity version of the game.

Who can forget literally all of Linda’s one-liners? ‘You don’t have to be a sailor to know you have to tie a rope! Sorry!’

And what about Alexander’s wonderfully weird singing during the nursery rhyme challenge that helped him win the heart of the nation?

Or maybe ‘I’m just Judy’ lives rent-free in your head, after the Doncaster queen made her mark on season four of the Claudia Winkleman-hosted show.

Getting to know the quirks and charm of people we’ve never seen or met before is a huge part of the ride, and something that the VIP series can’t live up to in the same way.

As Alan Cumming welcomes the ‘ordinary Americans’ into Ardross Castle, I’m reminded of America’s love of celebrities, and how much they’re platformed on US TV.

There are endless seasons of Real Housewives, and the Kardashians are still pumping out episodes of their reality show after almost 20 years of production.

Perhaps audiences desire to be constantly reminded of the American dream and tantalised by the idea that the same could happen to them?

Or maybe it’s the shiny allure of these glitzy stars and the marketing opportunities that come with selling this idea of luxury to viewers at home?

In any case, it’s refreshing to see a varied bunch of US contestants arriving in the Scottish Highlands to play the game of a lifetime.

@Kineticpsi agrees, writing: ‘I’m looking forward to this. I love the idea of people that aren’t in the reality sphere with a need to create extra drama just to extend their 15 minutes, or to live up to their ‘brand.’’

And @NitchGuardProductions is enjoying the look of the line-up too: ‘Don’t see any controversial celebs on my screen. I’ll take it!’

Taking part are a dog groomer called Arisa, a barrel racer named Ben and a funeral director who goes by Joe, as well as 19 other interesting-sounding professionals.

When this series drops in the UK, I’ll be sure to tune in.

But for now, I’ll sit patiently while editors finish up the second season of Celebrity Traitors due in Autumn, knowing full well it’s the January episodes, with colourful characters from across the country, that I’m really looking forward to.

America, get ready to enjoy – you’ll see we’ve been doing it right from the start.

The Traitors: New Blood premieres on September 17 on NBC at 8pm ET/PT.