Former Washington football star Colton Underwood part of Emmy-winning reality show

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The Washington High School graduate, former NFL player and "Bachelor" contestant was announced as part of the cast for the Emmy-winning reality series "The Traitors." The fourth season is now in production in Scotland, according to Variety.

Three previous seasons of "The Traitors" is streaming now on Peacock. There has been no official announcement about the release of the fourth season, but the previous three seasons launched in January. That would point to January 2026 as likely for the premiere of Underwood's season.

What is 'The Traitors'?

"The Traitors," hosted by award-winning actor Alan Cumming, is a "murder mystery" game in which two dozen contestants compete for a grand prize. A small group are "traitors" who must work together to eliminate the other contestants. Those "faithfuls" must work to discover and vote out the traitors.

The show has quickly become a fan favorite since its first U.S. season aired in 2023, earning an Emmy Award and becoming the most-watched unscripted series in the country, according to NBC.

Underwood is among 23 contestants announced Friday. Here is a full list, according to People.com:

Underwood, 33, was named 2009 Journal Star player of the year ahead of his 2010 graduation from Washington High School. He became an all-American football player at Illinois State and then played briefly in the NFL.

He had a brief relationship with gold-medal gymnast Aly Raisman following the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That led to an appearance on "The Bachelorette," the ABC companion show to "The Bachelor" and "Bachelor In Paradise." In 2019, he was given his shot as "The Bachelor."

From the archives: Colton Underwood named 2009 Peoria-area football player of the year

In 2021, Underwood came out as gay and starred in a Netflix documentary series "Coming Out Colton." In 2022, he jumped back into reality TV, winning the CBS competition series "Beyond The Edge" -- which earned money for his not-for-profit Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation, which supports people living with cystic fibrosis. Underwood in 2023 married partner Jordan Brown after a two-year relationship.

Underwood in 2024 appeared on the 11th season of FOX's "The Masked Singer," a reality competition singing show. He competed as "Lovebird," and was eliminated on the sixth episode, airing April 10.

Also in 2024, Underwood and Brown welcomed their first child. Bishop Colton Brown-Underwood was born September 26, 2024, via surrogate, the couple announced on social media.