The most anticipated TV show of the year has arrived: The Celebrity Traitors. Twenty-one contestants, ranging from actors to broadcasters and comedians, have entered Ardross Castle under Claudia Winkleman's watch, competing for up to £100,000 for their chosen charity and a shot at national fame.
The opening episode begins with the group filing into a church, complete with masked guards and floral tributes spelling out RIP and VIP. Young Sebastian Croft pauses to genuflect, prompting immediate speculation about whether this is a tactic to appear trustworthy.
Ross Kemp's Bewildering Start
Ross Kemp is already struggling, turning in confused circles in the castle, convinced anyone who touches him is trying to murder him in plain sight. The review notes, "Get it together, Kemp. We've a long way to go yet."
The appeal of the show lies in seeing behind famous faces to the reality beneath, whether that is a hard man revealed as a soft target or a mathematician failing to use stats to her advantage.
Richard E Grant's Unprecedented Reveal
Richard E Grant becomes a traitor within about 30 seconds. He publicly longs to be chosen, saying "It would be the jackpot!" When asked by Joe Lycett if he is a traitor, he gleefully replies, "I am a traitor!" Claudia Winkleman calls him "Already iconic."
Jerry Hall, who has known him for 30 years, dismisses it: "He's just acting out because he hasn't been chosen." Grant spends much of the episode trying to walk back his confession.
Choosing the Third Traitor
Grant's partner in treachery is Love Island presenter Maya Jama, who declares "My villain era has begun!" Together, they must choose a third traitor from two contestants who believe Grant's reveal. The candidates are journalist Amol Rajan and comedian James Acaster, who wait in coffins to hear their fates as one lid bangs shut at the credits.
The review concludes that the lightning has not been bottled quite as successfully as last time, with a slightly more muted cast and energy not quite there yet. However, Claudia and her clothes and attitude remain, and the opening episode is always the weakest. Relationships and alliances, the heart of the show, take time to build. Seeds have been sown, but the soil feels slightly less fertile this time round. The Celebrity Traitors aired on BBC One and is available on iPlayer now.
