It’s official – Celebrity Traitors is already the TV moment of the year

Warning: spoilers ahead for the first episode of Celebrity Traitors.

I can’t remember the last time a series debut was more highly anticipated than Celebrity Traitors.

Expectations are through the roof – even more so given the star power of its line-up. I never thought I’d see Sir Stephen Fry dip his toe into reality television, but lo and behold, The Traitors has the power to lure in any celebrity, no matter how unshakeable their place on the A-list.

And he’s not alone: Jonathan Ross, Paloma Faith, Alan Carr, Tom Daley, Clare Balding, and Celia Imrie are just some of the other huge – and somewhat unlikely – names sacrificing themselves to the gruelling and risky world of reality TV.

But star power alone isn’t enough to make great television.

The Traitors now draws in more than 10 million viewers per episode on average, with its numbers continuing to climb long after a series has aired on BBC One. Its fanbase is constantly growing – and, remarkably, it’s done so without any celebrity gimmicks, relying solely on the strength of the game and the charisma of Claudia Winkleman at the helm.

Launching a celebrity version is a far bigger gamble than it might seem. Right now, The Traitors is arguably the most successful brand in British television – and I predict it hasn’t even peaked yet.

The game has always been the star; the cast comes second. But for the game to work, it has to feel high-stakes for the players. With a life-changing amount of money on the line, every series so far has been nail-biting.

So… does it still work when the cast could collectively buy the very castle they’re playing in?

I had my doubts – but they were quickly quashed. The Celebrity The Traitors cast isn’t just made up of national treasures whose careers are still thriving; they also make up a genuinely brilliant Traitors cast. They just happen to be famous.

They may not need the money – though they’ve all reportedly been paid a flat rate of £40,000 – but despite their varying backgrounds, ages, talents, and celebrity status, they all have one thing in common: a clear love for the game. And they all want to win.

Even better, most of them really want to be Traitors.

Claudia has never been so spoilt for choice, eventually selecting Brit Award-nominated singer Cat Burns, mischievous chat show host Jonathan Ross, and perhaps the least convincing Traitor imaginable: Alan Carr. ‘I’m worse than Linda,’ he concedes – an accurate nod to Series 3’s Linda Rands, who may well go down as the worst Traitor of all time.

It’s no surprise that the first episode is, by and large, The Alan Carr Show – and rightly so. Put Alan on any TV programme and he steals every scene, whether he tries to or not.

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That could prove to be the show’s only downfall. The Traitors has always had one consistent flaw: some of the best characters get axed far too soon. And Alan, at least for now, is comically out of his depth in the cloak-and-dagger world of deceit. His exit would be too big a loss to bounce back from immediately – but the game always pulls through.

From the start, the celebs are thrown into the deep end. Before even entering the castle, they’re tasked with getting dirty in a cemetery filled with pre-prepared headstones for their looming ‘deaths.’ Their first mission? Dig their own graves and search for a shield granting immunity from the first murder.

Without hesitation, every one of them gets stuck in – whether it’s for screen time, charity pride, or genuine desire to win. I imagine there’s a mix of motivations at play.

Episode one is packed with twists, with producers throwing everything they can to keep the rug pulls coming. There’s no murder on the first night – understandable, considering the sizeable fee each contestant is being paid. £40,000 for just over 24 hours? Even for Sir Stephen Fry, that’s excessive.

There’s no breakfast gathering, no chance for the Faithfuls and Traitors to perform their best shocked faces as players enter one by one. Instead, they go straight into a mission – noticeably more spectacular than the usual civilian challenge.

Together, they must push a Trojan horse the size of a small ferry through four drawbridges, each one unlocking only after completing a game. I’m not sure I’ll ever see Clare Balding in the same light after her bewildering mistake at the very first hurdle, accidentally locking in the wrong answer and costing the team their first challenge. For someone with a career built on razor-sharp intellect, it’s an eye-opening faux pas – one that might cost her a place in the game.

But it’s refreshing to see stars of this calibre being more human than we’re used to. We’re about to see them at their most exposed – and for some, that might carry consequences.

For others, it might work in their favour.

Cat Burns may be one of the least recognisable names in the line-up. I knew her music, but nothing about her as a person. She turns out to be funny, charming, and smart – ideal traits for a great Traitor. She’s surprisingly competitive and cunning, and I hope she sticks around for as long as possible.

Punky actress Ruth Codd was perhaps the most unexpected casting – admittedly, the only name I didn’t know. But she delivers classic one-liners and adds a dose of humility that balances out the more showbiz-heavy personalities. Her absence would be keenly felt.

My only complaint after episode one? No murder. But with a cast this sensational, I’m not ready to say goodbye to anyone just yet.

Celebrity The Traitors is destined to be a runaway success. No matter who took part or how the game played out, it was always going to be the TV moment of the year. But it’s not just coasting on its own hype – this is a celebrity spin-off executed with care and respect for its fiercely loyal fanbase.

It deserves to break every viewing record, to become the cultural moment of the year – the kind we so rarely get anymore.

Celebrity The Traitors airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One.

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