The Traitors's four biggest conspiracy theories debunked as BBC show grips nation

The Traitors, hosted on BBC by Claudia Winkleman, is midway through its third series with around nine million tuning in each week to follow the deception and manipulation

The nation is once again gripped by The Traitors - as contestants deceive and manipulate in an attempt to win a £120,000 cash prize.

The BBC show, now into its third series, divides participants into "Faithfuls" and "Traitors", with their identities kept secret. It's then up to the Faithfuls to sniff out the Traitors and boot them off the show.

The Traitors is already attracting more viewers each week than last season, with around nine million watching each of the three episodes of this series. The twists and surprises, sprung on the contestants and audience alike, keep viewers on the edge of their seats and create huge discussion online.

But this has led to conspiracy theories – some plausible, others totally bonkers – about this year's crop of contestants, whom include a landscape gardener from Yorkshire and posh interior designer from East Sussex.

One superfan has shed a light on the latest conspiracy theories as the programme, presented by 53-year-old Claudia Winkleman in the Scottish Highlands, is tonight going to air its seventh episode of the series.

Charlotte and Alexander are a couple

Claudia Connell, who is a The Traitors superfan, noticed chatter online to suggest Charlotte Berman and Alexander Dragonetti are actually a couple,. They're both from London, and have similar accents. Charlotte, a business director, fought tooth and nail in the mission to save Alexander, and they seem to be flirty and familiar with each other.

But Claudia has taken a deeper dive to deny this theory. She wrote for the Mail Online: "Charlotte is indeed with Alexander... just not that one. She's been married for two years to her husband Alexander and they have a black Labrador called Bobbie. The pair were happily together at Christmas (The Traitors was filmed last summer) ruling out the theory she is coupled up with anyone else."

Alexander, the "Faithful" in the programme, was evicted in the first episode when he and two other contestants volunteered to get off a train taking everyone else to the castle. However, the 38-year-old former diplomat returned in episode four when the other contestants chose to save him during a mission.

Dan and Joe are brothers

Viewers were shocked during series two when it emerged Diane and Ross Carson were actually mother and son. It is on that basis some fans bnelieve a similar twist may emerged in this series, and so claims have appeared online that Dan Bird and Joe Scott are actually brothers.

But Claudia believes this is unlikely because they have different accents and the series has already had one sibling couple - Armani Gouveia, a banished Traitor, and her Faithful sister Maia, who was "murdered".

"Dan's Instagram is full of pictures of him with his long-term partner Matt, meaning any alternative theory about Dan and Joe, 37, being a couple is also wrong," Claudia wrote, also stating Dan is from Liverpool and Joe, originally from Yorkshire, now resides in Southampton.

Freddie is Francesca's son

When Francesca Rowan-Plowden, known as Frankie, formed a close bond with Freddie, people online suggested they might be mother and son. Frankie, a 44-year-old interior designer from East Sussex, was seen hugging Freddie, 20, who says she is like his "mum" in the castle.

Claudia, though, believes viewers would know by now of any relationships among the group. She also knows Frankie has four sons but Freddie, a politics student from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, has no siblings.

The superfan added: "Although she's now set her Instagram to private, Frankie previously uploaded pictures of her boys when they were young showing them to be blond… But, could they be auntie and nephew?"

Jack will be back

Jack Marriner-Brown, a landscape gardener from Yorkshire, "took one for the team" and volunteered to leave the train heading for the castle in the opening episode. When the other contestants had to choose which two of the three they wanted to re-join them in episode four, unlucky Jack was booted off for a second time.

But some fans are convinced the 25-year-old man will return, just like Alexander did. When a very tall "killer clown" appeared on screen in one of the missions, fans were convinced it was really 6ft 5in Jack in disguise.

Claudia has again ruled out this theory. She noted Jack has since appeared on spin-off show The Traitors: Uncloaked, which wouldn't happen if he was still part of the game.