Traitors Heads to NBC: Alan Cumming Hosts Civilian Edition

Alan Cumming is opening the gates to his Scottish Highlands castle once again — but this time, it won’t be celebrities walking through the door. NBC announced today that it is launching a civilian version of Peacock’s Emmy-winning competition reality series The Traitorsgiving everyday people the chance to play the ultimate game of deception.

Cumming, who will return as host, revealed the news during the inaugural Televerse 2025 conference at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The NBC edition will begin production in 2026, with casting now open at TheTraitorsUS.com.

“In this new version for NBC, we’re excited to bring along The Traitors’ highly addictive fan base as we discover the next generation of legendary gamers and schemers,” said Sharon Vuongexecutive vice president of unscripted programming at NBCUniversal. “With our resident host and gameplay master of ceremonies, Alan Cumming, on board to introduce complete strangers to new epic missions and twisted gameplay, we know it will be incredible to watch.”

Stephen LambertCEO of Studio Lambert — which produces both the Peacock and NBC versions — added, “We’re thrilled to be working with NBC to open up the experience to a new group of civilian players, whose stories and strategies will make the gameplay even more unpredictable – and, we hope, even more addictive for viewers.”

The Peacock edition of The Traitors has become one of the most talked-about reality competition shows on television. The third season, which premiered Jan. 9, debuted as the No. 1 unscripted series in the U.S., according to Nielsen. It earned five Emmy nominations this year, including Best Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for Cumming, and Best Reality Competition Program — both of which it won last year.

The format challenges players — dubbed either “Faithful” or “Traitors” — to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000 through team missions. But the hidden Traitors work in secret to eliminate Faithfuls one by one, with the ultimate goal of stealing the money for themselves.

While the NBC civilian edition begins filming next year, fans won’t have to wait that long for more castle intrigue. The fourth season of The Traitors premieres in 2026 on Peacock, with a fifth season already confirmed. All episodes of the first three seasons are available to stream now on Peacock.