#The Traitors winner set for reality TV return

The Traitors‘ Aaron Evans is set to make his reality TV return on Channel 4 show First Dates.

Following last night’s (January 2) season premiere for the dating series, which sees singletons matched up on blind dates, a teaser promoting the rest of the season was revealed — and it included a brief glimpse of The Traitors star.

In the clip, Aaron can be seen in the restaurant waiting to meet his date before saying, “Shit, she’s so pretty”, as a woman walks towards him.

Fans were surprised to spot the unexpected reality TV crossover, sharing their reactions to Aaron’s appearance on Twitter/X.

“Catching up on #FirstDates and Aaron from The Traitors popped up in the series preview,” one viewer wrote, while another posted: “Is that Aaron from The Traitors in the trailer?”

Related: The Traitors season 2 release schedule: When is the next episode on?

“Aaron from The Traitors on First Dates?!” a third person added alongside a shocked emoji.

Aaron made his reality TV debut on The Traitors in November 2022. The psychological game show sees a group of contestants labelled “Traitors” secretly work to banish their fellow contestants, known as “Faithfuls”, and steal the prize money.

Aaron made it to the final episode, winning the £100k prize pot alongside fellow contestants Meryl and Hannah after Traitor Wilf had been caught out in the nail-biting finale.

Following the hugely popular finale, The Traitors has since been renewed for a second outing, which is currently airing on BBC One and iPlayer.

Related: First Dates‘ Merlin Griffiths given “all clear” from bowel cancer

Meanwhile, BAFTA-winning First Dates recently underwent a shake-up before its 10th-anniversary season airing: Production has moved away from its previous filming locations of London and Manchester, instead setting up at a restaurant in Bath.

Alongside the location change, Channel 4 also promised a wider format refresh, adding that the season would have “some of the most unforgettable dating moments the show has ever featured”.

First Dates airs on Channel 4. The Traitors series 2 airs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Episodes beyond 2 and 3 will NOT be available to stream before broadcast.

Reporter, Digital Spy
Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career. 

Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.