Amol Rajan, the broadcaster and former Today presenter, is joining Metro as its Celebrity Traitors columnist for the new series of the BBC One reality show. His first column will appear next Thursday, October 8, at Metro.co.uk and in the Metro newspaper.
Rajan is among the 21 celebrities in the castle for series two of the show, which returned on Thursday on BBC One. He will be writing exclusively for Metro throughout the series, giving readers his take on the betrayals, banishments, alliances and questionable behaviour unfolding on screen.
First episode drama
In the dramatic first episode, which aired on Thursday night, Rajan was among several cast members who pitched themselves to Claudia Winkleman as a perfect Traitors pick. However, it was Maya Jama and Richard E Grant who got the fateful tap on the shoulder at the first round table gathering.
At the end of the first episode, Rajan's fate hangs in the balance: he could be the third Traitor or the first to be murdered. He and James Acaster were selected as the two Faithful who had to pitch themselves, Dragons' Den style, for recruitment to the Traitors' turret. Rajan laid out his argument in three salient points, using his day job as an asker of tough questions as a reason to keep him around. All will be revealed during Friday night's episode.
Who is Amol Rajan?
Rajan, 43, is one of the UK's most prominent journalists, moving from newspapers to some of the most prestigious broadcasting jobs in the country. After studying English at the University of Cambridge, he started out as a journalist at The Independent in 2007, becoming the newspaper's editor in 2013 at just 29. He left The Independent in 2016 to join the BBC as its first media editor.
He went on to present The Media Show on Radio 4, as well as taking on a number of television projects and becoming a regular interviewer. Rajan joined the presenting team on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in 2021, interviewing some of the biggest names in politics, culture and entertainment during his five years on the flagship show. He stepped down from Today in September 2026, while continuing to work with the BBC.
As well as being a news and current affairs heavyweight, Rajan has also carved out a name for himself in entertainment, taking over as host of University Challenge in 2023, succeeding long-time presenter Jeremy Paxman. He has since become a familiar presence on BBC One, occasionally hosting episodes of The One Show.
New ventures and family life
Rajan recently launched The Amol Rajan Connection, a new media platform and community featuring interviews and content across platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn. The venture officially launched in September 2026, following his Today programme departure.
He is married to Dr Charlotte Faircloth, Associate Professor of Social Science in the UCL Social Research Institute, UK. The couple met at Downing College at Cambridge University and married in 2013, and they have a busy family life with four children under the age of eight.
Celebrity Traitors continues on Friday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
