The Celebrity Traitors: everything you need to know

The time for talk… is over. Dig out the velvet cloaks, dust down Claudia’s fingerless gloves and ask an orchestra to arrange cheerful pop songs into dark and sinister arrangements that make your stomach tingle. Yes, it’s time for a new series of The Traitors, the most popular backstabbing-yet-strangely-wholesome show on TV.

But this time around, instead of regular Joe Public claiming to be “100% Faithful”, it’s a bunch of very famous faces heading to the renowned Scottish castle. The Celebrity Traitors has arrived with all the same level of intrigue, drama, deceit and betrayal, but featuring an all-star cast that – frankly – is next-level brilliant.

The Celebrity Traitors begins at 9pm on Wednesday 8 October on BBC One HD (CH 101) with an extended 70-minute opening episode. The series will air two nights a week, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 9pm with the finale scheduled for Halloween. Catch up on anything you’ve missed in the series on BBC iPlayer (Apps > BBC iPlayer).

Here’s what to expect.

If you’ve never watched the OG series, a group of people are sent to a remote Scottish castle, where they’re secretly split into Faithful and Traitors as they all compete in challenges to add money to a prize pot. In The Celebrity Traitors, the celebs are playing for charity, with a potential £100,000 up for grabs.

Each night, the Traitors “murder” the Faithful (by way of a signed note – there’s nothing illegal involved). In their attempt to stop them, the Faithful can collectively vote someone out each night at the Round Table. Just imagine a stupidly tense family dinner where, at the end, you ask your least favourite relative to leave and never come back. But more tense.

No one knows who belongs to which group – they only have the word of each contestant – so at the Round Tables, they must use guesswork, clues, “evidence” and usually high levels of unearned confidence to decide if the person they’re banishing is really a Traitor. Or not. One by one, the contestants are either murdered at night or banished at the Round Table until the final.

Whoever is left by the end of the final Round Table splits the money. However, if there are any Traitors left in the castle at the end of the game, they pocket all the money – and the Faithful leave with nothing. Apart from major trust issues, obviously.

Throw in epic challenges where both Faithful and Traitors work alongside each other to add money to the prize pot. There are also Shields that protect the wearer from Banishment. Expect big twists, revelations and more tactics on show than when Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim played with his little magnetic board in the dugout at Grimsby.

Just, for the love of God, if you’re a Traitor, don’t look up when Claudia says “Traitors!” like she’s calling the school register. It’s a real giveaway… Linda.

Often, when celebrity editions of your favourite shows are announced, your enthusiasm normally disappears when the cast list is revealed, putting the “Who?” in “Who’s who”.

However, we can safely say that our collective jaw hit the floor when they announced The Celebrity Traitors cast, followed by a series of noises and gurgles and frenzied exclamations like “Wow!” and “How did they get them?” and “Are you kidding us?” and “This is going to be amazing!”

This truly is the fizzy rosé of celebrity casts (if you know, you know). Have we built this up too much? Judge for yourself.

You’d love to see Alan as a Traitor, murdering people in the turret every night. Think of the drama, Mick. But he’d probably give himself away quicker than Linda did in the first episode of series 3. However, if people don’t think he’s a Traitor, he could be vulnerable to murder.

Most likely to be: Murdered early

Her calm and thoughtful vibe will make her an interesting player in the castle, and someone people might underestimate. She’s clear about who she is and what she stands for, and that confidence could see her navigate suspicion with ease.

Most likely to be: Trusted for being authentic

Celia as a Traitor would be peak TV. Honestly, if she told us she was a Faithful while wearing the cloak and signing our name on a murder sheet, we’d still believe her. Will probably win the whole thing and finally get that overdue Damehood.

Most likely to be: Brilliant and win it

Charlotte has never been shy in coming forward, so you’d expect her to be the classic “big personality” in the castle, leading people down cul-de-sacs. That might keep the Traitors happy if she keeps getting it wrong. But strong voices often lead to suspicion…

Most likely to be: The group’s ringleader

As one of a handful of Proper National Treasures in the castle, she’d make a great Traitor, because imagine Clare Actual Balding backstabbing and sowing seeds of doubt. So much so, might people think she’s a Traitor when she’s not?

Most likely to be: Faithful, get wrongly banished and cause everyone to feel awful about it

There have been various kinds of “clever” in the castle, whether it’s those who show cunning and guile to stay in the game or those who, um, put on a slight Welsh accent. Traditionally, intellectuals like David are seen as “threats”. He might be the first to go.

Most likely to be: Banished early

Unlikely to be a Traitor, unlikely to be accused of being a Traitor, and will be kept in the castle right to the end, as he’s probably going to help win the group the most money in the challenges. But he’s a big personality, and that tends to come up at the Round Table.

Most likely to be: Murdered towards the end of the series

Wouldn’t you just love Joe Wilkinson as a Traitor? It feels like he’d mess it up – like he’d accidentally arrive at breakfast still wearing his cloak – but it would be as entertaining as anything. We hope he’s kept on the show until the end, whether Traitor or Faithful.

Most likely to be: A very unlikely Traitor

If you were looking at the names cold, you’d probably think Jonathan Ross was a Traitor. So, it means he almost certainly won’t be a Traitor. But there will be suspicion around him. That means the Traitors will keep him in to take the heat off them.

Most likely to be: Kept in as a shield for the Traitors

Her sunny, breakfast TV persona can give way to a hardened journalist making politicians sweat before they’ve even had their second coffee. She can play both sides, which would make her an asset for either side – or a threat.

Most likely to be: Faithful, but wrongly banished

Lucy’s comedy persona is naïve and trusting, so it would be a good double bluff having her as a Traitor. Conversely, she possibly comes across as Too Faithful. So, without any suspicion, she might be an early target for the Traitors.

Most likely to be: Murdered early

Although probably nothing like the characters he’s played, Mark already feels like a Traitor even before he’s in a cloak. The voice, the gravitas, the whole “intense actor energy”. If the producers don’t make him a Traitor, we’re missing out on world-class telly.

Most likely to be: Brilliant as a Traitor

If you watched the Ted Lasso actor in, um, Ted Lasso, he went from cheery and lovable to backstabbing snake, so the fella has castle range. Could easily play the nice guy or the bad guy. Would be a very good Traitor, and we’re sure the castle will think so.

Most likely to: Be a Traitor

In a castle full of big TV and movie stars, it would make sense to give a cloak to someone who might not immediately provoke suspicion. If any of the celebs have seen Niko’s content, they’ll know he’s good at pulling off pranks. This would be his biggest yet.

Most likely to be: Be an under-the-radar Traitor

Chaotic energy in human form. One minute, she’ll be making everyone laugh, the next planting seeds of suspicion that turn the castle upside down. A total wild card, and that’s why we’re going to love her in the game.

Most likely to be: An agent of chaos for either side

We suspect that not only would The Midnight Club actress be a brilliant Traitor, but she would also absolutely relish it. Normally, Traitors try to hide in the background, but we don’t think Ruth would do that for one second. Make it happen.

Most likely to be: A brilliant Traitor

You’d expect Stephen to deliver an eloquent monologue every time someone’s accused at the Round Table. The trouble is, he’s so clever and so respected, nobody will want him hanging around too long. National treasure or not, brainy types don’t last.

Most likely to be: Banished or murdered early for being too clever

Whether you love her in EastEnders or loved her on Strictly Come Dancing, there’s one key phrase here: you love her. That makes her dangerous as both Faithful and Traitor. People won’t want to lose her, but that might put a target on her back.

Most likely to be: Loved by all, murdered

Could the likeable Tom be the perfect Traitor, or would it be too obvious to make the nicest man in Britain one of the villains? With paranoia and suspicion rife in the castle, it’s those kinds of logic tests that will test even the most hardened thinker.

Most likely to: Be accused of being a Traitor

Even without knowing who in the cast will end up being Traitor or Faithful, Ted Lasso and Taskmaster star Nick Mohammed is currently the firm bookies’ favourite to win the show, followed by Thursday Murder Club actress Celia Imrie, Olympian Tom Daley and singer Charlotte Church.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, Guilt actor Mark Bonnar is the outsider to win the show. But only once the celebrities are broken down into their two groups will the real game be afoot. How will any of them cope with the pressure?

Like the main series since 2022 and the US version of The Traitors hosted by Alan Cumming, The Celebrity Traitors is filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, a 19th-century castle about 30 miles north of Inverness.

The castle is set amid 100 acres of gardens, parklands and giant effigies/creepy mazes/haunted baby dolls (to be honest, the last bits might have been brought to the grounds by the production team).

Can you stay at The Traitors castle? While it’s not available as a hotel, it is available as a wedding venue for up to 41 guests, according to the castle’s website. There are few better places to vow that you’re “100% Faithful” in front of your nearest and dearest (and probably a few people who somehow made the guestlist you wish you could banish).

The Celebrity Traitors begins at 9pm on Wednesday 8 October on BBC One HD (CH 101) with an extended 70-minute opening episode. The series will air two nights a week, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 9pm with the final scheduled for Halloween. Catch up on anything you’ve missed in the series in Apps > BBC iPlayer.

Immediately after the main series, you’ll also be able to watch Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, the official visualised companion podcast, on BBC Two HD (CH 102) and in Apps > BBC iPlayer) as well as listening on Apps > BBC Sounds.

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