By Aspen Bitta

Recently the new BBC one series The Traitors hosted by Claudia Winkelman, has become favoured by the public, but how popular really is it compared to other TV shows?

Statistics show that 9.2 million people have watched the new series of The Traitors which is a lot higher than some other popular UK reality TV shows.

Some of these shows include Geordie Shore which started in 2011 on MTV, based off a US show Jersey Shore.

The show follows a group of 20-something-year-olds in Newcastle, as they go through relationships, work, and parties.

The show is notorious for its chaotic antics making it a hit with younger audiences. While Geordie Shore never reached the viewer numbers of other mainstream shows, it has remained consistently popular. Its viewership peaked at around 1.3 million during the early seasons.

The Traitors has also topped the iconic show Big Brother for ratings.

Big Brother contestants were isolated in a house and filmed 24/7, with weekly evictions adding tension to the mix. The drama of hidden alliances, betrayals, and unexpected confrontations made it a TV staple for almost two decades.

At its peak, Big Brother drew millions of viewers. The first-ever series in 2000 had an average viewership of 4.5 million.

The widely known UK show Love Island also has not reached the same views The Traitors has.

The show, set in a sunny Spanish villa, sees singles couple up and compete in challenges, with the public determining who stays and who goes.

The show s combination of romance, drama, and unexpected twists has gained its massive following. While the 2021 season averaged around 2.5 million per episode, Love Island enjoyed its highest ever ratings earlier this month, being watched by more than 6 million viewers for the first time ever.

One of the most popular shows is Strictly Come Dancing, which is the ultimate celebrity dance competition, where famous faces partner up with professional dancers to perform ballroom routines.

Combining talent, glamour, and competition, the show has become an annual fixture on UK television. Each series typically averages around 8 million viewers per episode, but its peak was 13.2 million viewers in 2020, overtaking The Traitors.

Despite occasional criticism for casting decisions, Strictly remains a UK television institution, with a loyal fanbase that eagerly awaits each new season.

The show that has overtaken The Traitors by a long shot is The X Factor which ran from 2004 until 2018. The X Factor was a singing competition, turning unknown singers into worldwide stars.

From Leona Lewis to One Direction, the show s ability to discover and launch talent was unrivalled. The drama of its audition stages and emotional backstories kept viewers hooked, while judges like Simon Cowell added to the spectacle.

At its peak, The X Factor regularly pulled in over 10 million viewers but the 2010 finale, for example, attracted an impressive 19.4 million viewers, and the series remained a top performer throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. Although the show ended in 2018, its legacy in shaping UK reality TV is undeniable.

So why do people enjoy reality TV so much?

In an article about why people are obsessed with The Traitors. Sociologist Danielle Lindemann said: “One theory is that watching reality TV allows us to engage in a hyperreality." A show like The Traitors gives the viewer a bird s eye view of the deceit, we know who is lying and to who. We can see what people are saying behind each other's backs, and the barefaced lies they are telling.

The Traitors stands apart from other popular UK reality TV shows due to its unique blend of strategy, social deduction, and psychological intensity.

While shows like Big Brother, Love Island, and I m A Celebrity focus on social interactions, romance, or celebrity antics. The Traitors appeals to viewers who crave suspense, deception, and intellectual engagement.

However, these other reality shows are clearly doing something right as they have captured the public for years and are consistently getting millions of watchers, by offering lighter entertainment. These shows wider accessibility, and engaging formats make them more universally popular, making The Traitors feel more niche by comparison.

Which UK reality TV shows rank the best?