Bosses of Celebrity Traitors have been forced to scrap a planned cliffhanger after an unexpected epic moment during filming, which sources say “will make great TV”.
The show features twenty-one famous faces at Ardross Castle, competing in a game of deception and betrayal for a cash prize of up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice. The series is known for its cliffhangers, which keep viewers invested.
Richard E. Grant’s blunder
Tonight, viewers will see the result of last Friday’s cliffhanger, as the all-star line-up casts votes on who to banish. Actor Richard E. Grant was chosen by host Claudia Winkleman to be a Traitor alongside presenter Maya Jama. Minutes into the game, comedian Joe Lycett asked him what role he had been given, and Grant replied, “Traitor!” He then spent the rest of the premiere trying to convince fellow contestants he was a Faithful who had made a bad joke.
Plans thrown out
A source told The Sun: “Cliffhangers on The Traitors have become legendary so bosses never want to disappoint and hope to have the nation on tenterhooks all week, waiting for Thursdays to come around – that’s part of the reason the format being fed out twice a week works.
“So they plot out likely moments in gameplay that will be the Friday cliffs. But during filming, something so unbelievable happened even execs didn’t see it coming. It forced them to throw plans out the window to accommodate the epic moment – which should make great TV.”
Producer’s reaction
Production firm Studio Lambert decides what elements would make good teasers during pre-production. Executive producer Sarah Fay said: “We always have an idea before going into pre-production what might be cliffhangers but we have to be so reactive because who knows what the story is going to be.
“Last year we went to deadlock [at the Round Table] when it was down to David [Olusoga] and Mark [Bonner] where it was a tie. We never knew that that was going to happen until obviously, it was happening right before our eyes. I think the beauty of this game as well is every episode we’ve probably got about three options of what the cliffhanger could be because it’s so nail-biting.”
The Mirror has contacted the BBC press office for comment. Celebrity Traitors returns tonight at 8pm on BBC One.
