Your next Traitors fix, and Yungblud's new album: What's coming up this week

Noor Nanji
Culture reporter@NoorNanji
BBC/South Pacific Pictures & All3Media International / Getty Images A composite image of Traitors host and YungbludBBC/South Pacific Pictures & All3Media International / Getty Images

Are you missing the drama of The Traitors? Fear not because the New Zealand version drops on BBC Three and iPlayer on Monday.

But that's not all the next seven days have in store.

Yungblud’s new album is out, 28 Years Later is released in UK cinemas, gaming fans have Date Everything to look forward to, and Benson Boone is also dropping a new album.

Read on for what's coming up this week...

Your next Traitors fix

BBC/South Pacific Pictures & All3Media International A picture from Traitors NZBBC/South Pacific Pictures & All3Media International

This Monday, we’re gearing up to watch 22 New Zealanders lie, cheat and betray their way to winning up to $100,000 (£44,000).

That’s right, it’s time for series two of The Traitors NZ, filmed at Claremont Manor at the foot of Mount Horrible (no, really).

As with the British version, the show is a study in human nature, as alliances form early on, and suspicions run rife.

The series already aired in NZ, with the New Zealand Herald saying it could be “the reality TV hit of the year”.

But one thing it doesn’t have is Claudia Winkleman and her epic wardrobe.

Instead, it's hosted by New Zealand broadcaster Paul Henry. Don’t worry, his outfits are just as fabulous.

Yungblud's shackles are off

Yungblud, the chart-topping singer who set up his own festival, is dropping his new album Idols on Friday.

I was lucky enough to see him at a party in central London recently, where I got a sneak preview of the new album - a blend of his signature pop-punk and emotional depth.

The 27-year-old artist - whose real name is Dominic Richard Harrison - was there alongside Florence Pugh, who stars in the music video for one of his new songs, Zombie.

He said the new record, made in the north of England with his best mates, was his "most ambitious and exciting music to date".

Yungblud is known for his committed young fanbase and, with his new album, he's said he wants to make that community even bigger.

Harking back to the sounds of Queen and David Bowie, he told my colleague Mark Savage that it would "reclaim the good chords" (Asus4 and Em7, in case you're wondering). "The shackles are off," he said.

28 Years Later hits cinemas

By Alex Taylor, culture reporter

Getty Images A picture of the stars of 28 Years Later - Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie ComerGetty Images
Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in 28 Years Later

Batten down the hatches and don't make a sound - this week sees director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland unleash 28 Years Later.

It's a long-awaited return for the UK-based zombie horror series that first infected audiences in 2002 with 28 Days Later.

The protagonist, 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), lives with his parents Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Isla (Jodie Comer). He's only ever known life on an island connected to the quarantined British mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway.

I've seen a sneak preview, and while I can't say much, the trademark realism and unrelenting tension persists. Fans of The Last of Us will love this.

As for those fan theories sparked by the trailer? Despite speculation that Cillian Murphy appears as a zombie, Boyle has confirmed to IGN that the Oscar-winner, who made his name in the original film, will only reprise his role as Jim in the next instalment - already shot and due for release next year.

Objects of affection

By Tom Richardson, Newsbeat reporter

It is perhaps not so surprising that a video game created by two veteran voice actors opens with the main character at risk of losing their job to AI.

But where Date Everything! goes next is somewhat more unexpected.

Players don a pair of high-tech glasses called "Dateviators" that turn household objects including fridges, doors and lamps into potential love interests.

Creators Robbie Daymond (Critical Role) and Ray Chase (X-Men '97, Jujutsu Kaisen) obviously raided their contact books, as each item is brought to life in the form of a human cartoon avatar created by a star from the worlds of gaming and anime.

In a bit of fortuitous timing, this celebration of their craft arrives on consoles and PCs from Tuesday, just days after a months-long video game acting strike was suspended.

Flip out over Benson Boone's new album

By Mark Savage, music correspondent

Getty Images A picture of Benson Boone singingGetty Images

King of the backflip Benson Boone had the most-streamed track in the world last year with Beautiful Things - earning enough money to buy his first house - but now he's ready to move on.

"I'm getting to the point where I just want people to know that there's more than just that song," he told Rolling Stone earlier this year.

The results have been mixed. His comeback single Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else, a propulsive new wave anthem, peaked at number 20 in the UK charts, while Beautiful Things still continued to remain stubbornly lodged in the top 10.

But his new album, American Heart, is worth your attention. The title track is a widescreen anthem about a near-fatal car accident he got into as a teenager; Mr Electric Blue is a spirited tribute to his dad (featuring the lyric, "Watch the way you talk to me/If you want to keep your two front teeth"); and the second single Mystical Magical features a falsetto so ridiculous its almost endearing.

Repackaging the sounds of Queen and Elton John for the TikTok generation, it's efficient and catchy – though I'd avoid the saccharine Momma Song if you have an aversion to schmaltz.

Other highlights this week

  • Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr drops on the BBC World Service on Monday
  • Gianni Versace Retrospective opens at Arches London Bridge on Monday
  • Supersonic, a documentary about Oasis, is re-released in a limited number of cinemas on Monday
  • Royal Academy Summer Exhibition opens on Tuesday
  • Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, series two, drops on Netflix on Wednesday
  • Sheffield DocFest starts on Wednesday
  • Heston: My Life with Bipolar is released on BBC Two and iPlayer on Thursday
  • The Isle of Wight Festival starts on Thursday
  • Haim's new album, I Quit, drops on Friday
  • Grenfell: Uncovered is released on Netflix on Friday