Clever fan theory emerges over what has happened to three Traitors contestants who left game before it started

Following the first episode of the third season of The Traitors, many viewers will all be wondering what happens to the three contestants who left the game before it even started.

The show has been finding ways to keep things fresh with the new season, and it began almost immediately when the train taking them to the Traitors mansion stopped and turned around.

The contestants were then told that, of the three carriages, one member from each would have to step off.

While their fate was not explicitly revealed, they were told they would not be heading to the mansion with the rest of the contestants.

Each minute that passed before a decision was made cost the group £1,000 from a £10,000 prize pot.

Fozia, Jack and Alexander all stepped off, with Fozia saying: "I kind of thought to myself, 'Do you know what? I'm happy to get off, I'm happy to take this one for the team.

"I don't know what came over me but I've done it for the team and I've done it for all the people who know me, that's something I would do for others.

"It was only after I got off I thought, 'Oh my God, what have I just done'."

Thankfully for Fozia, Jack and Alexander though, some viewers think that the trio are set to come back.

Fozia was one of the three to step off the train by choice (BBC)

The topic was one of discussion on the Reddit thread r/TheTraitors.

One fan said: "Personally I think it's engineered to give them an excuse to balance the game to last an appropriate number of episodes and that both teams are represented until the end.

"There are some aspects of the game which the showrunners don't control which can impact how long it lasts.

"The faithful could have flubbed the gunpowder boxes in the challenge and not got immunity from murder, the traitors could waste a murder on someone who secretly has the shield, the faithful could get lucky and keep on banishing traitors, etc.

"Despite this, they need to make sure they reach the number of episodes they've had commissioned. They can bring these three back if needed and they could come."

The Traitors season three has officially kicked off (BBC)

Another fan responded to this theory saying: "This is probably the best take I've seen in this. Makes sense for the producers to have a contingency to fall back on."

This not the only theory though of what they could be.

Another fan commented: "They haven't officially been 'banished' and they didn't appear on [the after show talkback] Uncloacked. 100% will be back in some form. I think we might have a guardians concept in play."

The show’s first episode aired on BBC last night, with the second immediately being put up on iPlayer.

At of the end of episode two they hadn’t come back, but who knows, as with The Traitors... anything can happen.

The Traitors episodes one and two can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.