Traitors

Comic James Acaster is said to feel ‘destabilised’ after he revealed to his co-stars that he was in fact a Traitor, as he narrowly missed out on a place in the Celebrity Traitors final

Celebrity Traitors star James Acaster is said to be feeling “destabilised” after he revealed his bombshell. The comedian started the BBC programme as a Faithful but was eventually recruited as a Traitor, despite making it clear that he was unhappy about it.

Throughout his time on the show, Acaster, 41, said he didn’t want to lie and that he played the game “as honestly as he possibly could.” But during last Thursday’s roundtable, James dramatically revealed to his co-stars that he was, in fact, a Traitor – leaving everybody stunned by the bombshell.

But while James had cleared his conscience, his decision didn’t go down too well with viewers at home. Following his revelation, he was subsequently banished from the castle by his co-stars.

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The Rest Is Entertainment podcast hosts Richard Osman and Marina Hyde have also discussed the backlash James faced after sharing his news on the show. Discussing any regrets that the cast may feel now, Richard said: “If you’re in it, like if you’re James [Acaster] at the moment, I bet you think, ‘Oh, I wish I hadn’t done that because everyone can have one opinion about this today.’

“James then has to listen to 56 million opinions, you know, and like nobody needs that. And the thing with him, he’s so brilliant and so talented that whatever he does next will, you know, supersede this in a heartbeat.”

He added: “But you know, it’s just annoying to have to spend a couple of weeks sort of in a position where you feel slightly destabilised. James, if you’re listening, or people who know and love James are listening, James, we love you. I’m very excited for what he does next.”

Meanwhile, James’ co-star, singer James Blunt, has claimed that a lot of the roundtable discussion was edited out of the final version of the episode. Speaking to the BBC, Blunt said: “He didn’t fall on his sword. That’s what you saw, that’s what you feel, but he didn’t. You didn’t see the full extent of the interrogation. It was heavy in there, and it was clear-cut. He was pinned to a post. We got him. We really, really got him.

“I think how that played out hasn’t really been revealed to you, but he didn’t just say, ‘Oh, guys, you got me’.” He went on to say of the editing of the show: “There are elements [of the show] where I was screaming at the screen for a different reason than you.

“No matter what really went on in that castle, you’re a victim to the edit.” James also revealed that he only went on the show to promote his new material and wasn’t too bothered about going along with the game.

He disclosed: “We all get paid the same, whether you’re there for day one or day 23. So for most of the time, I was trying to… Get the hell out of dodge. But no one was killing me, and no one was banishing me.”

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JOANNE McNally has revealed the regimental methods used to remove banished players from The Celebrity Traitors castle.

Asked by Vogue Williams on their podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, Joanne explained precisely what happens once they are asked to leave the round table.

“When you leave, what happens? You just left and go home?” asked Vogue.

“So you get off the podium, they rush you out the side door and you’re bundled into a van like Whitney Houston in the Bodyguard,” Joanne explained. “You have a little backpack there, it’s like an emergency backpack in the castle at all times so that if it’s the night that you do go you have your essentials.

“And then you’re taken to a different hotel.”

Joanne – who was banished on the penultimate episode of the second season of The Celebrity Traitors, after the other players wrongfully accused her of conspiring against the Faithful – explained that she was then sent back to the castle the next day.

TOP THREE

Maya Jama reveals which Celeb Traitors stars she would have picked to be Traitors

‘IT’S GIVING LOBOTOMY’

Celebrity Traitors’ Joe Lycett reveals secret email with bosses

“You actually have a full day’s work to do in the castle because you have to do all your B-shots and there was a video of me in the bath, so it’s all that stuff and your final interviews.

“I always wondered why in the castle if you needed to go to the bathroom or anything it’s this big kind of production.

“It’s because they have to make sure the castle is clear and there’s not people who’ve been banished the night before because they were in the castle doing all their extra last bits of work.

“So they were making sure no one crossed paths. It’s such a huge production and they run it so military!”

Meanwhile, co-star James Acaster has revealed the moment he “should have walked out” of the show before filming was halted.

The comedian left viewers shocked in the penultimate episode when he changed the whole game by outing himself as a Traitor in a tense round table – after Michael Sheen pointed the finger at him and Maya Jama.

James’ shock admission that he was a Celebrity Traitor on the show left him so distraught filming was halted.

Welfare staff checked on the comic before the Round Table vote but he crumbled as Faithful Michael Sheen finally ­rumbled him — forcing producers to step in.

Now, James has revealed that he had considered quitting the castle even earlier in the series, when the celebs took part in a mission that forced them to be buried alive in coffins.

James shared that he was “really scared” during the coffin mission and should have gotten out then.

He told Far Out Magazine: “I was lying there thinking, actually, I think I’m really scared of this. As soon as the soil was heaped on top, Bella did say, ‘Imagine if they can’t get us out.”

During the mission, Jerry Hall decided to quit the mission, and James said: “She didn’t like it. She didn’t like, well, none of us liked it. 

“I respect Jerry the most because Jerry just went, ‘I’m not doing this.’ Like, are you kidding me? And the rest of us were just like, ‘We want to win Traitors in our coffins, idiots.’

“We should have just done what – as soon as I heard Jerry got out, I should have said to Bella, ‘I’m getting out, forget it.’ If it’s a free-for-all now, we should all get out. They can’t stop us all. We could all do it.”

MAYA Jama has revealed who of her co-stars from The Celebrity Traitors she would select to be her fellow Traitor if she was in charge of choosing.

The TV star, who was paired with Richard E Grant, Hannah Fry, James Acaster and King Kenny as Traitors across the recent season, kept herself in the mix, as well as just one of the others.

The third may shock fans.

Speaking to Elle, she said: “If I could go right back to the beginning and pick my own three traitors, I would pick me.

“I think Richard I would keep and just delete the fact that he told everyone he was a Traitor.

“And Miranda I think would have been great if she was chosen from day one.”

‘IT’S GIVING LOBOTOMY’

Celebrity Traitors’ Joe Lycett reveals secret email with bosses

OH MAYA

King Kenny parties with Maya Jama at Halloween bash after secret stays over emerge

Some might be surprised to hear she’d choose Miranda Hart over King Kenny, who she grew close to on the show.

Kenny was spotted partying the night away at her Halloween bash with a host of other celebrities – hours after being spotted leaving her £1.5m flat.

The Sun exclusively revealed that Maya let her fellow traitor Kenny stay at her £1.5 million North London flat for two nights — including the tense finale on Friday night.

After wrapping up with his fellow contestants, Kenny was spotted arriving back at Maya’s pad in time to watch the show air on BBC1 at 8pm.

Pictures shared by both celebs on the same day appeared to show the same curtains in the background, believed to be in Maya’s home.

But despite Maya hosting Kenny at her home, a source close to Maya said that romance is “not on the cards”.

The source said: “Maya and Kenny are just friends. There is nothing romantic between them.

“Kenny has been firmly on the sofa this week and the pair find it hilarious that their relationship could be anything else.

“They’ve seen fans of the show talking about them online and find it really funny, but romance has not and is not on the cards.

“Maya has a group of friends staying with her at the moment and Kenny has also been coming to hang out with them.

“They’ve all been watching the Traitors final together, as well as getting their costumes ready for the Halloween party tonight.

“They are genuinely really good friends and built a stronger bond through being on Traitors together.

“Maya is single and enjoying spending time with her friends as well as working right now.”

Maya has been single since splitting from Portugal and Man City footballer Ruben Dias earlier this year after 18 months together.

It’s Halloween weekend and that means it’s time to curl up on the couch to watch a blood-curdling scream erupt — from your television.

In the L.A. area, the forecast is looking pretty grim with showers expected this weekend (I am going to remain cautiously optimistic, however, because I do not want these bags of candy to remain in my house). If it does end up being a rainout, at least there are several very good new series and films to watch. Here are a few suggestions:

• One is Peacock’s “Crystal Lake,” the new “Friday the 13th” prequel series starring Linda Cardellini, who spoke to senior writer Greg Braxton earlier this month about taking on the role of Pamela Voorhees (you’ll see Voorhees in a new light). On the occasion of the show’s release, Greg also wrote this handy guide to all the “Friday the 13th” movies, grading each one on a hockey-mask scale to help you choose which to watch.
• If you prefer your horror to involve teen angst, I highly recommend Prime Video’s “Carrie,” a new adaption of Stephen King’s iconic novel by Mike Flanagan. We spoke to the horror auteur and stars of the series, Samantha Sloyan and Summer H. Howell, about how it modernizes the story’s terror.
• As far as films go, you can’t go wrong with this year’s top two horror hits: Kane Parsons’ ultra-creepy, internet inspired “Backrooms,” which is streaming on HBO Max, and “Obsession,” streaming on Peacock. Fittingly, Inde Navarrette, the star of “Obsession,” will host “Saturday Night Live” on Halloween. And if you want to keep the theme going, Curry Barker, the film’s director, made a surprise release on Thursday of a short called “Mama Bear” on YouTube (be advised, it’s NSFW; watch it in a dark room at night like I did).

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, Susan House, the showrunner of Hulu’s new reality competition series “The Mob,” stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the show, and our writers recommend a documentary about one of the finest comedy sketch series to emerge from Canada and a workplace comedy series that graduated from the web to streaming.

Before I go, I want to take a moment to remember the legendary actor Patrick Stewart, who died on Wednesday. From his stage work with the Royal Shakespeare Company to his iconic roles as Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek” and Charles Xavier in “X-Men,” few actors had Stewart’s range and depth, as television critic Robert Lloyd so adeptly writes in his appreciation of him. To use the words of another “Trek” great, may he live long and prosper in the afterlife. — Maira Garcia

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

“SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of” takes a closer look at the Canadian sketch series. Andrea Martin, left, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy and Harold Ramis.

(Netflix)

“SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Hard Of” (Netflix)

Speak for yourself, title. Some of us were there from the beginning. But the show is definitely having a moment, with Netflix streaming the entire series, and the documentary “You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way),” currently in select theaters, featuring future “SCTV” cast members Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas and Martin Short (along with Gilda Radner). Jason Hehir’s “Greatest Show” film does a fine job of outlining the birth and death of what many consider the hipper cousin to “Saturday Night Live,” with lots of great photos and films of sketch comedians in their long-haired youth. The good times, the less than good times, the confusing times are all here, burnished with a warm glow of friendship. Gathered to reminisce are all surviving cast members (including the now-late Catherine O’Hara). Even the rarely seen Rick Moranis participates. (RIP John Candy and Joe Flaherty.) Creating comedy under less than glamorous circumstances, with no live audience or sense of whether anyone in the world was watching, they made the show for themselves and one another. Their instincts proved correct. — Robert Lloyd

Ryan Micho, left, Tommy Armstrong, Grace Reiter, Hyde Healy and Julia Dicesare play co-workers in “Minimum Wage.”

(Netflix)

“Minimum Wage” (Netflix)

The slip-slide from web series to streaming continues with American High’s workplace comedy that began on YouTube and is now appearing, in a slightly longer and moderately gussied-up adaptation, on Netflix. Shot in the now-standard mockumentary style, “Minimum Wage” chronicles life in a dumpy pizza place known as “The Slice Club,” where Grace (Grace Reiter, who recently joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live”) serves as the nominal manager of a wacky team of teenagers who occasionally make and serve pizza. More often, however, they engage in low-stakes antics: dealing with the local high school drama club, planning an ill-conceived birthday party, taking bets on a restaurant breakup or finding themselves stuck on the roof. Most of the cast, including Reiter, appeared in the original web series; this version adds Randall Park as CEO of the “The Slice Club” franchise, who is in mid-divorce and forced to sleep in the restaurant’s basement, and there is a more obvious attempt to underline various “chosen family” themes. They are an engaging, and occasionally hilarious group, and with episodes ranging from 15 to 22 minutes, “Minimum Wage” is an easy binge, or the perfect show to watch while waiting for that friend who’s always late, even when he’s the one who promised to bring the pizza. — Mary McNamara

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

The cast of “The Mob” in Episode 2, from left: Harry Jowsey, Aida Turturro, Shane Parton, Bruno Tonioli, Romeo Miller, Debi Mazar, Demi Engemann, Maria Georgas, Willam Belli and Chelsea Lazkani.

(Andrea Miconi / Disney)

Being in the mob is serious business, and for us normies, the idea of racketeering and plotting whackings is a no-go. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining to watch it unfold onscreen in iconic films like “The Godfather” or shows like “The Sopranos.” It’s that fandom that led to “The Mob,” the latest reality competition series from Hulu, co-produced by Primal Media and Studio Lambert, the production company behind “The Traitors.” It premiered earlier this week and drops new episodes on Mondays.

The series features 12 players who come from the reality TV world, including Demi Engemann from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” Joe Gorga from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Bruno Tonioli from “Dancing With the Stars;” and the acting world like Debi Mazar (“Younger,” “Goodfellas”) and Aida Turturro (“The Sopranos”). Each week, they have to compete in games inspired by mob movies and avoid getting “whacked” or eliminated from the competition by the don, the head of the family who doles out cash in exchange for allegiance. It’s hosted by Parker Posey, who is living a very comfortable life in an Italian villa.

Showrunner Susan House, who has led reailty shows like Netflix’s “The Circle,” says “The Mob” is special because it isn’t just about money — though the participants are competing for thousands in cash. “It’s about the power, it’s about family, and it’s about all these human relationships and human dynamics,” she says over video call this week. “Plus, you’re in this beautiful Italian backdrop. You’ve got Parker Posey, there’s some comedy and there’s fun. This sounds cliche, but I do feel like there’s something for everyone.”

She shares what it was like to work with Posey and the rest of the cast and the drama she’s been watching lately. — M.G.

Tell me how the concept for this series came about, and why the mob theme.

The concept was developed by a U.K. company called Primal, and they developed [it] along with Hulu. And I think the mob theme came about because it’s such a lush kind of environment to do a show from, like it’s so cinematic. It has such an amazing place in pop culture. Everyone knows it. It’s about power. It’s about family. It’s about dynamics. All the fun subject matter that makes for a great TV show.

How was it working with Parker Posey as host of the show?

I grew up in the Midwest in Kansas City, and I was a huge fan of independent film. My best friend and I would go to the one art house [theater] that we had growing up, and we loved Parker Posey. I’ve been a huge fan of her since “Dazed and Confused.” And so when she signed on for the show, I called my best friend when I was allowed to talk, and I said to her, “Oh, my God, you’re not going to believe who is hosting the show,” and we both did a little scream. It was just an … incredible moment in my career that I’m doing a show where Parker Posey, she’s iconic to me, was the host. I think that she’s perfect choice, right? She’s unique. She’s artsy. She’s comedy. She’s done drama. She can embrace a character, a setting. It was for me … just like a dream come true.

I’m so excited you said “Dazed and Confused,” because that’s what I associate her with.

When she signed on, I went back and rewatched that movie. I hadn’t seen it in a while. I was just like, oh, my God, she is so good in that.

And “The Mob” is so different. But it seems like she’s trying so many different things in this later stage of her career.

I know, it’s so cool. “The White Lotus,” she was amazing in, and I feel like people sort of rediscovered her in some ways. Maybe younger generations did, and it’s great, it’s amazing. She’s trying all these new things. I just watched “Wild Horse Nine.” She was incredible in that.

The cast of “The Mob” features a mix of actors and reality TV personalities, which I thought was really interesting. How did you land on that combination?

I think the subject matter of the mob is universal, right? It’s about loyalty. It’s about power, it’s about respect, it’s about family, and I think combining all of these personalities, … from acting and reality, is a unique opportunity to get [them] … on one TV show and see how they react. It’s a super-fun dynamic, and it just adds another layer to the show that’s I think unexpected and really fun.

Debi Mazar, who was in “Goodfellas,” and Aida Turturro, who was in “The Sopranos,” add some authenticity to the mob theme. I imagine their casting was purposeful — how did they incorporate that into the show?

I love Debi Mazar so much. I’m also a huge fan of her, not just from “Goodfellas,” but I love the show “Younger.” She’s also just iconic … We joke it’s the summer of Debi Mazar, with all the Madonna and Coachella things [the pair made an appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s set]. I agree, she does bring some authenticity to the show, and she’s definitely of that world. I can’t speak to whether she was playing a character or not. You’re supposed to be yourself. So she wasn’t necessarily [anything] other than Debi, unless she was doing something that I don’t know about. I think Aida is also incredible. She says in the show, I think … in one of the first episodes, “I’m not in the mob.” It’s kind of fun to see her play against type. Like, she is Janice Soprano. But then now we’re seeing the real Aida Turturro and how she plays the game as herself.

Joe Gorga is the family’s first don on “The Mob.”

(Andrea Miconi / Disney)

And you have Joe Gorga, who was picked as the first don of the house, and it felt really perfect because he is from Jersey and he has that voice that you associate with those characters.

That did work out perfectly. It was good because he has a lot of these kind of qualities and stereotypes, but he also is fun and funny. And the show is a comedy in some ways … it’s an homage to the genre. Having Joe as that first don and playing that up a little bit is was fun. We were we were thrilled.

Something people will identify are the allusions to mobster TV shows and movies, like the horse head from “The Godfather.” They’re also incorporated when someone gets whacked.

We’re all huge fans of of that genre, and so many people just wanted to drop these little breadcrumbs for the audience who also love it. Our set decorator, John Sparano, is a huge movie buff. He did things that were like, I don’t think anyone would ever understand this. There was a picture of some pool table balls that were about “The Godfather.” I have to ask him, or it’s like, “No one is going to know these three numbers, John. But OK, I’m glad you’re doing it.” In terms of the whackings, we just thought … this genre gave us the opportunity to have fun with those, make those cinematic and honor those films and and how they did things.

Is there anything you are watching lately that you are recommending to other people right now?

I like the show “War” on HBO Max, and I guess that’s apropos for being a reality TV producer. There’s so much drama, and it’s about a relationship. I’m really enjoying watching that, and I feel very nervous sometimes before the end of the show. I’m like, “Oh, my God, what’s going to happen?”

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The comedian’s bombshell the previous night did provide the programme with a twist to spark it to life after what some viewers saw as a mid-series lull.

On Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter noted, external that the show had achieved record-breaking ratings – before asking: “Why, then, has much of the consensus on social media been that it’s all felt a bit dull?”

Some noted a shortage of true back-stabbing, double-crossing and explosive rows – the things, in other words, that viewers love the most – while the celebrities were more chummy and savvy than previous groups of castle dwellers.

And while there was no shortage of big characters, this season lacked an equivalent to Alan Carr, the hugely popular and apparently hapless comedian who lied and murdered his way to an unlikely victory as a traitor last year.

The drama ramped up in the final, though, and Friday’s episode is likely to have been the most watched TV programme of the year.

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft have won the 2026 series of The Celebrity Traitors following a very dramatic final episode, which saw James Blunt sabotage himself

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft have won the 2026 series of The Celebrity Traitors as faithfuls.

The pair were the last two remaining at the firepit at the end of the BBC show with the players having voted out traitor and TV presenter Maya Jama during the final roundtable.

It had been quite the dramatic turn of events, with it ending with both players revealing their true identity. Sebastian – also known as Bash – said: “I began this game as a faithful, but I’m ending this game as a faithful.”

Romesh, who paused for dramatic effect, told his co-star: “Bash, I began this game as a faithful, and I’m ending this game as a faithful.” Both were thrilled to be faithfuls and secure the huge prize fund for their charities.

In an emotional scene, Sebastian said: “That was just incredible, this might actually be the best day of my life,” with Romesh adding: “I just really hope my mum’s proud, and also my youngest son Charlie, who wanted me to come on the show. Dad won, please show me some respect.”

It was a dramatic firepit – as all the players originally decided to banish again. Former Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock received the most votes and was booted out of the castle. It was then things took a turn.

Traitor Kenny opted to end the game but the other players chose to banish again, with Romesh gunning for James Blunt. It seemed like it was all going to end with an exit for James, but Bash’s decision to split the vote meant Kenny was booted out next.

Players were then given the option to banish again, with James choosing to banish again despite Romesh saying his conversation with Sebastian had changed his mind on whether he was a faithful or a traitor. Both Romesh and Sebastian voted James out.

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Sebastian said of his decision: “I believe you’re both faithful, and I’m sad to be in this predicament, and I’m sorry James because I truly believe that you’re a faithful, but I’m a man of my word, and so I’ve had to go for you.”

Earlier in the show, the final mission saw the teams tasked with finding two underground bunkers in the Scottish Highlands filled with gold, with one team boarding a helicopter and others getting into buggies. Once they found the bunkers they had to blow them up with dynamite.

To find the bunkers, the team in the buggies had to answer questions, before waving in the helicopter team to drop off the dynamite and detonator, with Jama, Croft and Pinnock hanging off the side of the helicopter to deliver the equipment. The group successfully found and detonated both bunkers, adding £18,500 to the prize pot, bringing it to £83,000.

After being voted out at the final roundtable, Maya did not reveal her identity as a traitor as per the rules for the last episode, but told her fellow players: “Thank you, alright, love you all, good luck, you’re going to need it.”

Actor Michael Sheen was murdered at the beginning of the final. After discovering his fate , he said: “The time has come, can’t say I’m surprised, but I am incredibly disappointed, gutted that I got so close to the end. It’s been absolutely unforgettable, and I’ve loved every minute.”

Heartstopper actor Sebastian said he would be donating his £41,500 half of the prize pot to the charity Choose Love, while Romesh said he would be giving his money to the Refugee Council.

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Fans of BBC’s The Traitors might want to add the underrated town onto their list as it’s right by plenty of the beautiful locations you see on the hit show – and the castle itself

BBC’s The Traitors has us gripped with the tense roundtables, secret turret meetings, murders in plain sight and tense missions. However, it’s not just the drama that catches our attention; those beautiful backdrops make it very tempting to open up your laptop and book a Highlands getaway immediately.

Filmed in the Scottish Highlands, the series offers sneak peeks of lochs with sparkling waters, dense forests, and breathtaking scenery that is the stuff of storybooks. For fans who want a taste, the good news is that there are budget-friendly places to stay in the area, a stone’s throw from plenty of the filming locations.

In fact, one town has recently been crowned as the ‘best for fans’ in the area. Dingwall may not be famed for being particularly beautiful or full of places to visit, but the underrated town is worth having on your radar whether you’re a Faithful or Traitor. A study from SMC Coach Hire named it the ‘best place for fans’ of the hit show, thanks to its location less than half an hour’s drive to plenty of The Traitors’ filming locations, not to mention the town boasts around 32 places to eat and drink as well as 11 places to stay.

There are also a few main attractions in the town including the Dingwall Museum, or the GlenWyvis Distillery which is approximately a 10-minute drive away. Meanwhile the Tulloch Castle Hotel is a firm favourite with visitors, while Lastminute.com offers stays at Dingwall hotels from £41 a night.

For Traitors fans, Dingwall is actually just a 24-minute drive from the actual Traitors Castle where the series takes place. Its real name is Ardross Castle but sadly it’s not a real hotel, nor is it a castle that’s open to the public. The 19th century castle boasts beautiful formal gardens and 100 acres of parkland you will no doubt recognise from the show, but if you want to visit there are only a few options; either you need to be filming a TV show or film and have permission there, or you can book out the entire venue for a wedding (although it’s worth noting that it will look very different when it’s not decked out with its Traitors decor).

Still, the missions in the show are filmed on the estate as well as around Alness, Inverness and local spots such as Loch Glass, Cairngorms National Park, and the Rothiemurchus Estate, all of which are open to the public, and less than a half hour’s drive from Dingwall.

If you do want to experience a hint of where the Faithfuls and Traitors stay, then you may want to consider a trip to the Courtyard by Marriott Inverness Airport. Despite the show offering scenes of the cast staying in lavish rooms in the castle, they actually stay at this airport hotel during filming! (If you’re in Inverness and want a budget stay, there are other options too including Travelodge and Premier Inn hotels in the city centre).

James on his exit

“The idea of doing that got me through the whole experience because you feel as a Traitor sometimes, when you see people have real life reactions that are bigger than the game, you feel bad, and I would have to remind myself they don’t have a game without you, literally, if no one’s doing this stuff, they can’t play, and they all want to play,” he said.
“So you are doing an important job here, so they all have something to do, and when they catch you, they’ll be really happy and they’ll like it, and it will feel good to just tell them and see that reaction.”

The latest series of Celebrity Traitors has been nothing short of chaos with fiery roundtables and a traitor who simply couldn’t resist revealing his fate in the opening episode

Celebrity Traitors is back on tonight as BBC viewers learn who is set to be banished, will it be Joanne McNally or Sharon Rooney? But with both faithfuls in the firing line, we can only imagine it’ll be sheer disappoint in Thursday’s show.

Of course the three Traitors also appear to be stronger than ever – with Maya Jama, King Kenny and James Acaster all voted the most trustworthy in their latest mission. As a result, Celebrity Traitors host Claudia Winkleman handed Kenny the all-important double vote to use at the roundtable. But while the faithfuls are yet to suspect either of them as a traitor, some fans believe a decision Claudia made at the beginning instantly killed off the game.

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In a post on Reddit, one person labelled this season as “great TV” while someone else claimed choosing Maya as a traitor wasn’t a good choice.

They added: “This series was doomed when they cast Maya Jama as a traitor.” Claiming to be a “huge Traitors fan”, they also said they’re not fussed about this year’s winner.

Someone else claimed the presenter has made “terrible traitor choices”, with the exception of Kenny. They continued: “I get that she’s a traitor and thus obviously wants to sabotage and weaken the faithfuls, and she should!

“But at the same time, from a viewership perspective, if there’s not a single competent faithful and it seems too easy for the traitors, it’s not an interesting watch.

“She couldn’t have predicted just how bad this series’ faithfuls are, but still, I mourn for the alternate season we could’ve had if potentially competent faithfuls like Hannah and James A weren’t recruited.”

But in the main post, the viewer wondered why this season is “getting so much stick”. They added: “It’s great TV. People getting upset because it’s not turning out the way they wanted it… it’s reality TV. It could have 100s of different outcomes. That’s life.”

Another agreed: “Yeah I’ve loved it so far, it’s been really fun.” A third commented: “The show is fine. The viewers are the problem,” while a fourth chimed in: “I’ve enjoyed it. It’s not as funny as last year’s but I’m into it and I care about the result. I really want a 3-traitor win!”

Later tonight we’ll see who will be banished from the castle – will it be Joanne or Sharon?

Celebrity Traitors will be back on at 8pm tonight on BBC One and again tomorrow at the same time.

EXCLUSIVE: The Celebrity Traitors is heating up with the semi-final airing tonight, but a former star believes that one of the Traitors will have to turn on another, in a huge twist

A former star of The Traitors has predicted a major twist. Tonight’s episode will see at least one Faithful banished from the castle, in yet another devastating blow for the Faithful.

So far, only two Traitors have been banished from Ardross Castle, leaving the team of Faithful shrinking by the day. In yet another twist, the Faithful unknowingly branded the three Traitors – Maya Jama, James Acaster and King Kenny the most trustworthy stars.

But what they didn’t know was that Kenny was later given a chilling double vote for the roundtable, after he and his fellow Traitors worked out who their next victims would be. This series has seen Maya come out on top, with many of her banished and murdered co-stars believing that she could potentially win the programme.

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Former contestant Andrew Jenkins, who appeared on series two of the BBC show, also believes that Maya could go all the way. “Maya Jama has 100 per cent got what it takes, and all of them, to be honest,” he said. He went on to add: “The three traitors have all got a good case because they’ve all been voted the most trustworthy, so they’re all doing really well.”

However, Andrew believes the Traitors will turn on one another before tomorrow night’s final. He commented: “I think the biggest obstacle is going to be that they turn against each other. I think one of them will have to turn against the other one. But they’ve got no heat on them from any of the faithful. So I think Maya Jama is playing a really good game.”

But after James A refused to take part in a task which would benefit the Traitors last week, Andrew says he empathises with the comedian. Both James and Andrew started off on the show as Faithful, before being recruited by The Traitors. “You’re trying to play so many games,” he said.

Speaking in connection with Buzz Bingo, Andrew went on to add: “You’re trying to take the heat off you, you’re trying to be part of a team, and it’s hard trying to juggle it all. So I do understand. I can see it from both sides of the fence. And yeah, he probably has put a bit of a target on his back now. Do Maya and King Kenny trust him now? So he could be hung out to dry now.”

This year has also seen increased paranoia in the castle, with EastEnders hardman Ross Kemp initially fearing he’d been murdered after a co-star merely touched him. However, he was later murdered in plain sight by James A and Maya, who bored him so much he yawned.

“It’s hard,” Andrew said of the paranoia inside the castle, adding: “It is really hard. You get paranoid because you’ve seen previous series. You know how other people have been murdered, so you’re going to suspect things. Nobody wants to drink from any cups; nobody wants to do anything. You get really paranoid.”

Tonight will disclose whether the brutal roundtable voted in favour of Joanne McNally or Sharon Rooney being banished from the castle, as the Faithful and Traitors once again go head to head ahead of tomorrow’s final.

The Traitors airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8pm.

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Celebrity Traitors fans are sure bosses were forced to make a huge change to the BBC show after a ‘chaotic’ twist during last week’s mission

The Celebrity Traitors has been pure chaos so far – but not as much as it was in the last episode.

During the daily mission, the celebrities had to come together to find money for the prize fund, with one person handed a special power. Ironically, some of the Faithfuls chose the three Traitors – Maya Jama, King Kenny and James Acaster – as the most trustworthy and they were given a special power.

However, fans are now convinced that the chosen power had to be changed after the Faithfuls put their trust in all the Traitors. Kenny, Maya and James were asked who they wanted to give the power of a double vote to – known as the Dagger – and they ultimately decided Kenny should have the power.

It caused quite the chaos in the roundtable as the double vote from Kenny meant there was a tie. The celebrities had to vote again and we are still waiting to find out if Faithfuls Sharon or Joanne will be next to leave.

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Fans are sure the show had to be changed after the Faithfuls selected all three Traitors to go for the power. One fan theorised on Reddit: “I think the faithful picking the three traitors sparked both immediate chaos as they had to scramble to change the power to something that made sense.”

“If it was intended to be the Seer power I’d have preferred them to roll with it to be honest. It would’ve been interesting to hear the traitors strategise about how to use it,” another shared, adding: “Between themselves to ‘confirm’ one of the traitors as a definite faithful to the rest of the group? Would be fireworks if they (or the seer) were later revealed as a traitor.”

Another fan theorised that it could have been a power used in the North American series, which was called the “power of pardon”. The fan explained: “This power allows one player to save a player from banishment if they think they’re not a traitor.

“But then all three traitors got voted so they pivoted to the dagger. The pardon wouldn’t work because no traitor would use it so no suspense.”

Other fans were convinced it could have originally been the power to ask the Traitors a question like Faithfuls Harriet and Matt (and Traitor Rachel) were allowed to do in the fourth civilian series.

The Traitors will return tomorrow night, where we will find out who gets banished at the roundtable – and if all three Traitors can make it all the way to the final.

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Celebrity Traitors finalist Nick Mohammed has shared how isolating it was to film the show amid monitored phone calls with his children and limited downtime

A year on from being hoodwinked by Alan Carr in the Celebrity Traitors final, Nick Mohammed is revealing what it was really like to film the BBC game show.

Speaking with Jessie and Lennie Ware on their Table Manners podcast, the actor described the isolation of filming, sharing that he was only permitted to have one call with his children a day and that those chats had to be monitored.

Nick, 46, said: “I was allowed once a day to FaceTime them, but only with the producers listening into the phone calls.” He added that this was “because if anything gets out, the game was over”.

“So that was the most difficult thing, and not being able to tell them exactly when I would be going because I didn’t know, and I could be back in 48 hours. I could be gone in three weeks, which turned out I was.”

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He continued to say that the celebs “downtime” was limited: “You didn’t get that much downtime, really. […] It looks in the programme like you get in those cars and go off, but it’s a more elaborate way out of the castle because they don’t want you to see who’s going in what direction. You’re actually in a holding area and dismissed at random, so you have no way of knowing whether someone’s been dismissed early and what that might mean.”

The Ted Lasso star was a Faithful on the show and made it all the way to the final. Though fellow Faithful Joe Marler was suspicious of Traitor Alan, Nick and David Olusoga both thought it was Joe who was the final Traitor and voted him off. As such, Alan won the game, stealing the prize pot for his chosen charity. Alan’s win won a BAFTA for most Memorable Moment.

Nick shared that he almost felt as though it had “never happened”. He explained: “It’s such a strange thing because we filmed it over April and May of last year, and then it didn’t come out till October of that year. So there is a good sort of four or five months where you can’t talk about it. You can’t give anything away, and you are not doing press for it because everything’s embargoed. So to a degree, it almost feels like it never happened. […] And you’ve got no access to the outside world, or you don’t have your phone on you, or anything like that during it.”

This year’s cohort have faced similar conditions concerning contact with the outside world. In a recent interview with The Times, current Traitor James Acaster shared that he was told off by the production team after a conversation with his partner. He said: “You can’t have an authentic conversation because you can’t tell them anything that’s happening.

“At one point my partner said, ‘Have you caught the sun?’ I was saying, ‘Oh yeah, we were outside for one of the missions.’ I was told I couldn’t even tell her that.”

He added that it was “just a game” and that the production team should remember that. His words were criticised by Richard Osman and Marina Hyde on their podcast. The former Pointless star said: “When James says it’s just a game and the production team would do well to remember that, the thing is it’s not just a game, it’s a television show about a game.

“And I am absolutely certain that they would have overstepped lines which the talent would rather they hadn’t overstepped because their job is incredibly difficult and you need to keep things as tight as you possibly can.”

Marina agreed: “You can’t call your family because you’ve been told in the rubric of the show before you go on it and before you sign the contract that that’s part of the game….You’ve got to toughen up.

“You’re being paid 40 grand for like 10 days work or something and you’re doing it for disadvantaged people so try and remember your chosen charity and just push it down.”

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MAYA Jama looked sensational in a hot pink bikini as she declared “everything is perfect” amid speculation over her Celebrity Traitors romance.

The broadcaster, 32, struck a pose in her striking two piece, adorned with gold hoop detail, as she perched on a sun lounger.

Maya‘s toned figure was on full display as she went make-up free for her chill day, leaving her hair in loose waves over her shoulders.

In another snap, she headed inside in her swimwear to stretch out on her sofa for a selfie.

The Love Island presenter also shared snippets of her getaway, including posing in a glam LBD, taking a reformer Pilates session and posing in a glam lift selfie.

And while her rumoured Celebrity Traitors love interest King Kenny did not feature – after the boxer and influencer gave away his “real feelings” for her – she did make a cheeky reference to her time on the BBC series.

HALLOWINNER

Maya Jama boasts Traitor trio have already won the show ahead of final

SHOCK BETRAYAL

Celeb Traitors’ murder victim revealed as Maya, James and Kenny turn on star

She uploaded an image showing her flashing the peace sign with the words: “POV your name hasn’t come up at the round table once yet”.

The Celebrity Traitors star has been one of BBC host Claudia Winkleman‘s chosen Traitors from the start.

Now, viewers are convinced a romance is bubbling up between Maya and King Kenny just as she recruited him as a third Traitor.

Fans of the show have spotted a few lingering looks between the YouTube star and the broadcaster since the BBC One show launched earlier this month.

The online whispers only intensified when Maya revealed herself to Kenny in the turret after he was recruited on Thursday night’s show.

He lunged forward for an embrace with her — which he didn’t do for fellow Traitor James Acaster.

During a car journey following one challenge, playing the role of a Faithful, he told his co-stars: “If Maya is a traitor I will never look at her in the same way.”

Comedian and presenter Romesh Ranganathan teased in response: “Well first of all I don’t believe that for a second”, as all three of them laughed.

Later in the episode, the players had to pair up for a mission and Maya selected Kenny.

After she said his name, YouTube star Kenny replied by saying: “My lovely darling.”

Comedian and TV star Miranda Hart had years of illness but became a fan favourite on Celebrity Traitors with her hilarious TV comeback, before being murdered by the Traitors

Miranda Hart fought back tears of sadness and joy when she left the Celebrity Traitors – as she explained the show was genuinely life changing for her. The 53-year-old fan’s favourite was murdered by the Traitors on the show tonight, and reacted by jokingly screwing up the piece of paper with her name on and saying “Bottoms! I knew it.”

But getting more serious, Miranda went on to explain how competing on the programme, her first major TV appearance for several years, meant a lot, having been bed-bound and housebound with chronic fatigue after being diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Getting emotional, she said: “Ultimately, in my little personal story, this has been quite extraordinary that I’ve been able to get back and do the thing that I love professionally and do the things that I love personally, like wandering around a Scottish highland and being in nature and laughing and connecting. There were times that I didn’t think that would be possible again.”

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And in an interview after the cameras had finished rolling, the actor and comedian went on to say she was fulfilled and satisfied after getting herself back to work and competing.

Asked for her proudest achievement, she explained: “I think just getting there and being part of it full stop. I have missed doing television so much and it has been a very hard road to get to a place after restricting long term illness to be fit enough to do something again.”

She added: “I think it’s a good thing that I wasn’t banished because my speech would have ended up being emotional and mushy. I would have told them how precious the connection and the joy and playfulness had meant after years of not being able to experience that, knowing that they are the most important things in life. And then no doubt the floodgates would have opened.

“I also would have tried to extend the reveal of what I was an absurdly long time. Anything for some more airtime!” Miranda has been an amusing presence throughout the series, including one memorable scene where she was recreating a Little Mix dance with former band member Leigh-Anne Pinnock. It was so dramatic and funny that it led actor Michael Sheen to wrongly believe it could be some kind of smokescreen for a murder plot. But it was just Miranda having the time of her life.

She recalled: “I love Leigh-Anne so much for making my Big Mix wish come true. Though I would like to apologise to all viewers for the dance – bosoms as menopausally wobbly as mine should not have been doing those moves.

“However, I would like to say to Little Mix that I am available and will go into training. When Michael[Sheen] suggested it could have been the way I had been murdered in plain sight I did in part want that to be true – what a way to go!”

Miranda said she loved the game but admitted it was intense and during filming she thought of nothing else, even dreaming one night she was married to Michael Sheen.

She said: “The actual game was much harder than I thought it would be. And much more all-consuming. I am sure for many the idea of doing it is a hard no for a number of reasons – it’s an intense experience and being idiotic and vulnerable on international television isn’t for everyone! – but for me it combined so much of what I love.

“The landscape, games, playing, being part of a team, deep and fun connection with people, being able to look down a camera and have a chat from time to time. I could go on. But when I say it was intense, it REALLY was – way more than I expected. I understand now why you become close to people on shows like it.”

She said she felt closest to Michael, Joe Lycett and James Blunt, but was also wrongly certain that King Kenny was a faithful. Looking back, she concluded: “I think you will always go away from something as intense and unusual an experience as this learning something.

“I learnt many things, or rather relearnt. One being never judge a book by its cover and be open to being wrong about your first judgement about someone. Secondly, that however assured people come across we are all vulnerable, have needs, and ultimately desire to be kind, so look for the good in people and treat them how you want to be treated. Make time for people rather than always looking after your own interests socially – that’s a big one.

“And finally, it has cemented my hatred of the smart phone because the joy of being with people without their phones – we talked and connected in a way I remember when I was younger. We need to put those darn things away.”

Elsewhere in last night’s episode, the remaining Faithfuls continued to struggle to spot the three Traitors – Maya Jama, King Kenny and James Acaster. In fact, they were so bad that they picked to save the trio at the end of the mission called Field Of Screams, as the players who could be eligible for a “game-changing power”.

Grinning Maya joked: “I had to hold in my laughter. Of all people, you saved us. I just thought, ‘Oh my gosh, have we completed this game already? We are trusting, we are unsuspecting, we are killing you all.’”

Kenny added: “Can’t believe we’ve been chosen as the most trustworthy. What on earth? Feels too good to be true.” And James said: “None of this comes back to us because they keep on doing it themselves.”

After he was picked to have the new power by the Traitors, host Claudia Winkleman gave Kenny a dagger, which meant he had two votes instead of one in the latest Round Table. As the show ended, Sharon Rooney and Joanne McNally tied on four votes each, and so they had to make a final plea to survive being banished before a second vote took place.

Kenny will have the deciding vote at the start of next week’s episodes, but whoever leaves, they are both part of team Faithful. It means the three Traitors will have all survived until the final week of the contest, and the struggling Faithfuls are up against it.

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Prince William revealed he met with Ross Kemp recently and confirmed “he was really jumpy” as he opened up on his family’s love for The Celebroity Traitors on The Graham Norton Show

The Prince of Wales has revealed his family’s love of The Celebrity Traitors, adding that he even touched paranoid faithful Ross Kemp “to see what reaction I got from him”.

The EastEnders star had been on alert about being murdered in plain sight through touch since the first episode of the BBC One series. The paranoia proved justified in Thursday’s episode, when he was indeed murdered in plain sight by traitors James Acaster and Maya Jama.

But instead of touch, he was murdered by yawning and inhaling a poisoned perfume. Discussing the star-studded programme during a surprise appearance on an Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show, William said: “I love it, the family love it. Charlotte and Louis are obsessed with it. It’s really good telly.

“I saw Ross Kemp the day after the first episode and I couldn’t help but try – in the most appropriate way – to touch him to see what reaction I got from him. Turns out he was really jumpy!”

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Asked how he switches off, he said: “It is music and film. I love getting immersed in deep-thinking films. I like action films too, but I like something a bit different. I’m a big fan of everything Christopher Nolan does. His films are fantastic – The Dark Knight series is psychologically dark and deep and I absolutely love that.

“He takes concepts that are completely out there and makes them incredibly entertaining.”

William joined Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham on the chat show to gasps from the audience to speak about the environmental award, which connects all four guests.

Blanchett is an Earthshot Prize council member, Irwin is a global ambassador for the prize and Waddingham hosted the 2023 Earthshot awards in Singapore.

Mumbai will stage the Earthshot Prize next month where the future king will meet Bollywood stars as he learns about India’s hugely popular film industry, play with cricketing royalty and preside over the ceremony awarding £5 million in prize money.

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REVIEW: After one big yawn in the castle, the most disastrous mission ever was followed by the least productive Round Table. What’s going on?

A disastrous Mission – in which the Traitors failed to bank any money at all – was tonight followed by a terrible Round Table, in which the Faithful simply clammed up. The producers must have been tearing their hair out.

It all started to go wrong when James Acaster decided he simply wasn’t going to do anything asked of him in the Mission, because he was “too scared”. And outraged Maya Jama and King Kenny could do nothing about it – because he did’t even raise his blindfold to look them in the eye.

Freaked out by his refusal, the pair of them crept about a bit but never looked close to building their shield, and – spooked by the creaking floorboards – in the end just aborted the mission entirely.

What is staggering is they didn’t even bother to sabotage the shields that had been built, leaving three of the Faithful fully protected from murder that night. So marks for effort to all three – zero.

Emboldened after winning the shields, some of the Faithful realised that the Traitors were on the ropes. “They’ve been absolutely rubbish,” James Blunt said, as Michael Sheen agreed: “They’ve got scared.”

They were absolutely right. But as though their inertia was catching, the Faithful then decided they’d respond by giving up speaking at the Round Table. Theories? Nah, they decided, collectively. Miranda Hart had one, but then withdrew it.

Jerry was asked for her thoughts directly, but having banged on repeatedly about James Blunt since the start, refused to say his name. And that’s after she’d earlier made the astonishing claim that he must be a Traitor because: “His face is redder than a fox’s ass at gooseberry time.” Well, if you say so Jerry.

In the end it was the former model who got her marching orders, not because the others really thought she was a Traitor, but because Michael suggested the next best thing was to get rid of any unhelpful Faithful.

Hang on though, hadn’t they noticed that Jerry and Sharon Rooney were the last ones in to breakfast that morning? Which means – as EVERY self-respecting fan of the show knows – that they must have been the other two Faithful in contention for murder, along with Ross Kemp. Duh. Never even mentioned.

When night fell, James Acaster was fully braced for the backlash he knew he deserved in the turret, saying: “I know I’m going to get a dressing down, I’m aware of that.”

Sure enough Maya and Kenny were fuming that he’d hung them out to dry. “I was scared,” he argued, deflecting their anger by insisting he was getting better at being a Traitor, not worse.

“When I killed Ross Kemp in plain sight, I loved it,” he declared. “And I have enjoyed today more.” Maya said she was proud of him but loyalty-wise, he must be skating on thin ice.

Now Romesh Ranganathan is convinced he’s about to be bumped off and if it’s not him it will be Miranda or Sebastian Croft. (The other two will walk in last to breakfast, you mark my words.)

James picked Romesh saying that his popularity and authority with the other Faithful would make his exit a huge blow. Calling him the “deputy head” of the round table, James said: “Morale-wise, everybody loves having Rom around.”

His words were kind but was this his way of trying to get rid of the fellow comedian, who is said to have made his life tricky in the castle? As Romesh headed to bed, he was muttering: “I’m going to die tonight.” And he could be right.

But whoever goes might find they’ve have a lucky escape if tonight’s effort was anything to go by. If this was a school report it would contain just three words: Must. Try. Harder.

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