The BBC kicked off 2026 with a strong start, bringing back two popular shows on New Year’s Day: The Traitors and The Night Manager.
The latest ratings are out, and The Traitors did exceptionally well. Deadline reports that an average of 6.4 million people watched, with almost 7 million tuning in for the premiere of season 4.
This episode attracted a significantly larger audience than the season 3 premiere, and viewership was comparable to the first episode of The Celebrity Traitors.
The premiere of The Night Manager season 2 drew an average of 3.3 million viewers, peaking at 3.8 million. This is a significant drop from the first season’s premiere in 2016, which had 6 million viewers overnight.
It’s important to remember these viewing numbers don’t include people watching on iPlayer. The first two episodes of The Night Manager were released there earlier that same day. Also, viewers might be less concerned about spoilers for this show compared to The Traitors, meaning they’re less likely to rush to watch it live.
As the weeks go on and official ratings are finalized, we’ll have a clearer picture of how well each show is performing.
The fourth season of The Traitors started with a surprising change: a hidden traitor whose identity wasn’t revealed to anyone – not even the audience.
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I just finished the first episode of The Night Manager season two, and it was great to see Tom Hiddleston back as Jonathan Pine! We also met some new faces – Camila Morrone as Roxana Bolaños and Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos – and I’m already intrigued to see what their roles will be.
You can watch new episodes of The Traitors season 4 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting Friday, January 2nd at 8pm. The second season of The Night Manager continues on Sundays at 9pm, also on BBC One and iPlayer.
Don’t miss out on shows like The Traitors and The Night Manager! Add them to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download it today for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.
Authors
James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at Fremantle, an international TV production company. He has a BA degree in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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2026-01-02 14:04