'I'VE SEEN CELEBRITY TRAITORS EARLY – HERE'S WHY IT'S THE YEAR'S BIGGEST SHOW'

I've seen Celebrity Traitors' first episode early and it promises to be even better than the original series.

As an entertainment news editor, I'm lucky that I'm in on the secret about the drama to come in Wednesday's launch episode, with host Claudia Winkleman and the 19 showbiz personalities taking part. 

Celebrity Traitors promises to be the biggest show of the year, featuring a fun line-up of heavyweight celebs that includes Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, Kate Garraway, Stephen Fry, Charlotte Church and more. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't. 

"What's coming is a blizzard of horror," Fry admits, and I don't doubt that. The backstabbing and lying that unfold on The Traitors series is intense.

Spin-offs featuring celebrities often get labelled "not as good" as the original, but I think it will be an exception. Trust me, it's addictive. 

The opening episode is funnier than ever before, thanks to Carr. His humour cuts through the tension perfectly. Inviting a number of comedians into the castle was a fantastic idea, and it's Carr who stands out in the first episode with his witty one-liners.

What's different from The Traitors original series

There are some interesting tweaks to the formula from the original series. No one can lie about their jobs because we have the luxury of "knowing" the famous faces on television. This 100% makes the game harder. 

Especially as the other stars have pre-conceived ideas about each other and who they think might be more likely to lie. If there had been a politician in the castle, they would surely have been the first to go.

Then there's the advantage — or disadvantage — of the celebrities knowing each other in the outside world. Take, for instance, real-life friends Stephen Fry and Celia Imrie. As there are already true friendships, perhaps this will mean that immediate alliances form. Those who are unfamiliar with the other stars may struggle more initially. 

This differs from the original series, in which only strangers participate. Of course, there is often an exception of one pair who have a secret connection, whether it's siblings, a parent and child, or a couple.

The betrayals between real-life celebrity friends could promise to be even more brutal than the original series. It was shocking enough to watch traitor Harry Clark betray his sobbing faithful friend Mollie Pearce to win the £95,000 in the series two final. They'd only known each other for the duration of the show. Some of the celebrity friendships go back years.

Surprises and shocking twists

The Celebrity Traitors cast will surprise you. It quickly becomes clear that there is no VIP special treatment between the stars and the civilian series. Every single one of the celebrities is up for the murder mystery game, no matter what. 

I don't envy the celebrity or celebrities who will be persuaded to climb into a coffin later in the series. Having watched the first episode, I have no doubt they'll be up for it.

As the pressure cranks up, a moment in the mission adds a new sense of jeopardy for the castle dwellers. Immediately, the heat is on, and it shows that the celebrities will play the murder mystery game just like the civilians. The celebrities may have reportedly been paid a flat rate of £40,000 to take part, but they're really keen to win. There is £100,000 for charity up for grabs too.

I look forward to viewers seeing who was selected to be the traitors. It's an excellent choice. 

It wouldn't be The Traitors without a game-changing twist in the first episode. The twist is introduced much earlier than in any other series. It promises a thrilling ride from the very beginning.

Celebrity Traitors starts on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/celebrity-traitors-bbc-review-103248606.html

2025-10-08T10:47:27Z