The Celebrity Traitors premiere ended on a cliffhanger with James Acaster and Amol Rajan fighting for their lives.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the BBC series follows 21 celebrity contestants as they try to seek out the traitors among them who kill off players in the middle of the night.
In the first episode, actor Richard E Grant, 69, and Love Island host Maya Jama, 32, were the first two chosen as traitors. However, by the end of the episode they were told they had a chance to recruit – and could kill another contestant at the same time.
Traitors choose their target
They selected comedian Acaster, 41, and University Challenge presenter Rajan, 43, who had to meet the two traitors face to face and were challenged with pleading their case. Both said they could help deflect attention for Grant after he accidentally revealed to multiple people he was a traitor, with the episode ending before the traitors selected who to save.
“The time I have left is entirely dependent on who to select and deflect,” Grant said.
Speaking to host Winkleman before being chosen as a traitor, Jama said she hoped to be an “unassuming, warm and misleading traitor”. Meanwhile, Grant said he was “utterly ruthless” and would feel “no guilt as it’s a game”.
“If I was lucky enough to be a traitor, it would be a dream come true. In this game the only power you have is being a traitor,” he said. “If you’re playing the game, you’re playing the game. Friendships mean diddly squat.” Grant added he “can’t wait to start murdering”.
Grant's blunder
However, soon after being selected to deceive his fellow contestants, the actor admitted he was a traitor to several other people. “What’s the point in being in the game if you’re not one?” he said to a room full of people.
Comedian Joe Lycett was stunned by his confession and said: “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” He then encouraged Grant to back down from his comment and reassure everyone he was in fact a faithful and making a joke. “I think you’ve done something that’s never been done in the game. It’s a bold strategy,” he said.
Realising his blunder, Grant said to the camera: “That may have been the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life. I was so thrilled to be chosen that in my excitement I said I was a traitor. I need to defuse all of the heat coming in my direction.” He added he was “absolutely convinced I am going home”.
However, model and actress Jerry Hall said she did not believe he was in fact a traitor. “I’ve known him for over 30 years and he says and does eccentric things. I think he is acting out because he hasn’t been chosen,” she said.
The full line-up and first mission
The other celebrities competing this season are actor Bella Ramsey, singer James Blunt, actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, content creator King Kenny and Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Six comedians are also taking part – Acaster, Joanne McNally, Lycett, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan. The rest rounding out the cast are actor Michael Sheen, actor Myha’la, broadcaster and mathematician professor Hannah Fry, actor and presenter Ross Kemp, musician and actor Sebastian Croft and actor Sharon Rooney.
Minutes after meeting, the celebrities were tasked with choosing who among them was considered the most trustworthy – quickly settling on Hesmondhalgh. She was then handed two shields – allowing two people to be saved from the first murder. Choosing to keep one for herself, she then awarded the other to Lycett.
During the first mission, the contestants were challenged with a treasure hunt on a ship, with £15,000 for the prize pool up for grabs. Their efforts were successful – securing all of the money.
Throughout the episode, Kemp admitted he was “so paranoid” about potentially being murdered in plain sight. “My guard is very much up. Everyone touching me, offering me a drink or speaking to me in an odd way – that could be me gone. So, I am pretty paranoid right now,” he said.
The celebrities are playing the game in Ardross Castle in the Highlands, with a cash prize of up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice also up for grabs. The contestants will try to weed out the murderous traitors among them in the eagerly anticipated second series of the BBC juggernaut, which launched last year and quickly became a major ratings success for the broadcaster.
The first series of The Celebrity Traitors aired last autumn, with its nail-biting finale hitting a peak of 15.4 million viewers, according to the BBC. It featured a star-studded cast including actors Celia Imrie and Nick Mohammed, author and actor Sir Stephen Fry, broadcaster Jonathan Ross and comedian Alan Carr, who went on to win as a traitor.
The Celebrity Traitors continues Friday at 8pm on BBC One.
