In a castle somewhere between performance and paranoia, twenty-one British celebrities will gather Thursday to compete not for personal glory but for charitable causes — and for the right to call themselves the most convincing liar in the room. The BBC's Celebrity Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, returns with a cast that spans Welsh acting royalty, YouTube collectives, and Irish comedians, all navigating a game where trust is the only currency and deception is the only strategy. Last year, a tearful Alan Carr proved that hiding in plain sight — warm, funny, and apparently guileless — is
Celebrity Traitors 2: 21 stars compete for £100k in BBC's return to deception
Humor as a weapon: how comedians hide in plain sight
Mark
So what's the actual appeal of watching this? It's just people sitting around a table accusing each other.
Mimi
That's true, but it's the psychology that grabs you. You're watching people try to read faces, detect lies, form alliances. Last year Alan Carr won by being funny and seeming harmless—he hid in plain sight.
Mark
And this year they've got comedians again. Does that mean the format's predictable now?
Mimi
Not necessarily. The comedians know Carr won that way, so they might be targets precisely because people expect them to try the same thing. The show rewards whoever can stay unpredictable.
Luke
But we don't actually know if the comedians will play it the same way. The BBC's preview is speculating based on one season. That's a pretty thin sample.
Mimi
Fair point. But the pattern is there—humor as a deflection tool worked once, so it's reasonable to think others might try it.
Mark
What about the "big dog" theory? Is that real or just something people made up?
Mimi
It came from Joe Marler, a contestant last year, who theorized that the producers would pick a famous person as a traitor to cause maximum chaos. Jonathan Ross turned out to be a traitor, so the theory held.
Luke
But that's one data point. We don't know if the producers actually think that way or if it was coincidence. The BBC article doesn't confirm the producers' actual strategy.
Mark
So the underdogs could win again.
Mimi
Exactly. Cat Burns, who nobody knew, made it to the final. Bella Ramsey is 22 and has been playing this game since childhood. Sometimes staying invisible is the best strategy.
Luke
Though we should note that Niko Omilana, another YouTube personality, was voted out first last year, which raised questions about bias. That's a real tension the show hasn't resolved.
Mark
So it's not just strategy. There's something else happening.
Mimi
Yes. The game is real, but the people playing it bring their own biases and assumptions into the room.
O Pulso
- The game's central tension is existential: every smile, every nervous laugh, every alliance offered could be either genuine connection or calculated manipulation.
- The so-called 'big dog' theory — that producers plant the most famous contestant as a traitor to maximise chaos — puts names like Michael Sheen and Richard E. Grant under immediate suspicion before a single word is spoken.
- Comedians Joe Lycett and James Acaster are circling Alan Carr's blueprint, with Lycett having already consulted Carr directly, while Acaster's claim that he 'can't lie' echoes Carr's own pre-victory disclaimers almost word for word.
- Beneath the celebrity wattage, quieter players — Bella Ramsey, Myha'la, and Julie Hesmondhalgh — are positioning themselves to move through the game unseen, as Cat Burns did last year on her way to the final.
- Questions of visibility and bias linger at the edges: King Kenny's presence carries the weight of his squadmate Niko Omilana's first-episode elimination last season, and whether the game's social dynamics reflect something larger than strategy.
In a castle somewhere between performance and paranoia, twenty-one British celebrities will gather Thursday to compete not for personal glory but for charitable causes — and for the right to call themselves the most convincing liar in the room. The BBC's Celebrity Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, returns with a cast that spans Welsh acting royalty, YouTube collectives, and Irish comedians, all navigating a game where trust is the only currency and deception is the only strategy. Last year, a tearful Alan Carr proved that hiding in plain sight — warm, funny, and apparently guileless — is the surest path to victory, and the question this season is which of these twenty-one faces has already learned that lesson.
BBC's Celebrity Traitors returns Thursday with 21 famous faces competing for £100,000 — not for themselves, but for their chosen charities — in a castle where a hidden few are designated liars and everyone else must figure out who.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the format is simple and merciless: a small group of 'traitors' secretly eliminate players each night, while the 'faithfuls' vote to banish whoever they suspect. Last year, Alan Carr won by being warm, funny, and apparently harmless — crying at the final after bluffing his way through the entire game. That performance has become the season's unofficial template.
The comedians are widely tipped to follow his path. Joe Lycett has already sought Carr's advice; James Acaster claims he can't lie, which is exactly what Carr said. Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett are both in the cast and already eyeing each other with friendly suspicion. Miranda Hart's bumbling warmth and Joanne McNally's gossip-honed instincts round out a comedy contingent that collectively understands the value of being underestimated.
Then there are the 'big dogs' — the theory being that producers select the most recognisable contestant as a traitor to maximise confusion. Michael Sheen, Richard E. Grant, Jerry Hall, and Maya Jama all qualify. Last year Jonathan Ross fit the bill and was indeed a traitor. Amol Rajan says he plans to form alliances early and stay quiet; Ross Kemp may find his footing in physical challenges; James Blunt completes a lineup of names too famous to hide behind.
But fame, the show has already demonstrated, is no shield. Last year's final included Cat Burns, a relatively unknown singer who simply stayed out of the crossfire. This year's quiet contenders — Bella Ramsey, who has been playing versions of this game since childhood; Myha'la, who is carefully curating how she's perceived; and Julie Hesmondhalgh, whose warmth masks genuine acting craft — may be the ones still standing when the castle empties. Hannah Fry worries her reputation for intelligence will make her a target. King Kenny carries the unspoken weight of last year's early elimination of his Beta Squad colleague, and what that might say about how the group dynamic forms.
Celebrity Traitors begins October 1st on BBC One and iPlayer.
The BBC's Celebrity Traitors returns Thursday with 21 famous faces competing for £100,000 to donate to their chosen charities, and the network's preview of the cast reads like a playbook for how to survive a game built entirely on deception and suspicion.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the show pits a group of celebrities against each other in a castle setting where a small number are secretly designated as "traitors" tasked with eliminating other players each night, while the rest—the "faithfuls"—must identify who among them is lying. Last year's edition produced what the BAFTAs called the most memorable television moment of the year: Alan Carr, a traitor, broke down in tears at the final after successfully bluffing his way to victory by hiding in plain sight. That win has set the template for this year's contenders, and the BBC's analysis of the incoming cast suggests several players are already studying Carr's playbook.
The comedians appear positioned as the strongest candidates to replicate Carr's success. Joe Lycett, 38, the stand-up known for quick wit and political stunts, has already sought Carr's counsel on spotting a traitor. Carr's advice was simple: look for anyone sweating and giggling. James Acaster, 41, whose deadpan and absurdist humor has made him a fixture on Netflix and podcasts, claims he would prefer to be a faithful because he isn't good at lying—though Carr made similar claims before winning. Romesh Ranganathan, 48, the former maths teacher turned comedian and host of The Weakest Link revival, brings dry humor and wry presenting skills. His friend Rob Beckett, 40, another panellist and podcaster, is also in the cast; Ranganathan suspects Beckett could just as easily become an ally or stab him in the back. Miranda Hart, 53, the self-titled sitcom star known for playing an awkward, accident-prone character, may benefit from appearing clumsy and warm. Joanne McNally, 43, an Irish comedian whose podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me trades in gossip and brutal honesty, rounds out the comedy contingent.
A theory emerged last year that the show's producers deliberately select one of the most famous contestants—the "big dog"—as a traitor to maximize confusion and viewership. That theory held true when Jonathan Ross was revealed as a traitor. This year's roster of high-profile names suggests the same strategy may be at play. Michael Sheen, 57, the Welsh actor acclaimed for portraying Tony Blair, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Brian Clough, is perhaps the biggest name in contention. Richard E. Grant, 69, the star of Withnail and I, carries significant star power, as does Jerry Hall, 70, the American-British supermodel and actress who shares four children with Mick Jagger and was married to Rupert Murdoch. Maya Jama, 32, the Love Island presenter, and Amol Rajan, 43, the University Challenge host and journalist, are broadcasting powerhouses. Rajan said he plans to form alliances early and keep his head down to avoid becoming a target. Ross Kemp, 62, the former EastEnders actor turned documentarian, may prove popular during physical tasks. James Blunt, 52, the You're Beautiful balladeer, rounds out the big-name contingent.
But the show's history suggests that celebrity status alone offers no protection. Last year's finalists included Cat Burns, a relatively unknown singer who flew under the radar, David Olusoga, a historian who made it to the final despite repeatedly voting out faithfuls by mistake, and Nick Mohammed, a comedian. This year's dark horses and under-the-radar players could follow a similar trajectory. Bella Ramsey, 22, the Last of Us and Game of Thrones star, is the youngest contestant and has been playing versions of The Traitors since age 10. They plan to be "instinctive, measured, and perceptive," keeping opinions private until the right moment. Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 34, the Little Mix and solo artist, comes across as down-to-earth but brings years of experience managing relationships under public pressure. King Kenny, 29, a member of the YouTube collective Beta Squad, is hoping for better luck than his squadmate Niko Omilana, who was banished first last year—an exit that sparked discussion about whether unconscious bias plays a role in early eliminations of non-white contestants. Hannah Fry, 42, the mathematician and broadcaster, said she was fulfilling the "nerd quota" and worried that people perceive her as smarter than she is, which could make her a target.
Other contestants positioned to maintain low profiles include Myha'la, 30, the US actress from the banking drama Industry, who deliberately plans her appearance to separate herself from her on-screen character and be seen as approachable rather than ruthless. Julie Hesmondhalgh, 56, known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street and appearing in Broadchurch and Mr Bates vs the Post Office, has a warm personality that could help her make friends, though her acting experience is a hidden asset. Sharon Rooney, 37, the star of My Mad Fat Diary and the Barbie film, is another likely to keep a low profile. Sebastian Croft, 24, the Heartstopper star, rounds out the cast. The Celebrity Traitors begins Thursday, October 1st, on BBC One and iPlayer.
Citações Notáveis
Just anyone that's sweating and giggling.— Alan Carr, last year's winner, on how to spot a traitor
I want to try and make friends and keep my head down to begin with, rather than immediately become Mr Forensic Investigator.— Amol Rajan, University Challenge host, on his strategy
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