Joe Lycett was forced to leave Celebrity Traitors on Friday night (October 16) after receiving the highest number of votes at the roundtable. The comedian's departure left fellow contestants in tears and viewers expressing their frustration on social media.
Twenty-one celebrities entered the Scottish Highlands earlier this month to compete for a cash prize of up to £100,000 for their chosen charity. Claudia Winkleman selected Maya Jama and Richard E. Grant as the first two Traitors, who then recruited James Acaster to complete their trio.
Richard's early exit and Hannah's banishment
Richard E. Grant became the first to face banishment after inadvertently revealing his Traitor status on the opening night. Professor Hannah Fry took his place, immediately arousing suspicion among the group. Hannah's castle journey concluded on Thursday (October 15) when she received the highest number of votes at the roundtable. Maya and James then recruited content creator King Kenny to join the turret.
Joe's fatal slip-up
The tension escalated on Friday when the remaining celebrities discovered there had been no murder the previous night. Joe Lycett sensed he would face a "tough day" after persistently requesting recruitment in front of the entire group. During the roundtable discussion, Joe said: "Let's say [the Traitors] were down to two last night and they recruited. There's so much heat on me for what I was doing last night that there's a good chance I'll go tonight, which means that they'll then have to recruit again tonight, denying them a murder."
James Blunt quickly identified Joe's error, saying: "I'm sorry, I thought maybe I completely misheard you. I thought you said, 'If you banish me tonight, they'll have to recruit another person tomorrow.'" The contestants were left shocked when Joe disclosed that he was, in fact, a Faithful. "No!" they could be heard screaming, as Joe left the roundtable for the last time. Miranda Hart was subsequently spotted in tears, having formed a connection with Joe throughout the competition.
Viewer reactions
Audiences were swift to express their disappointment following Joe's departure, with one individual posting on X: "Joe Lycett did this all to himself, he did not need help from anyone else. Utterly baffling." Another viewer chimed in: "Faithfuls are as bad as the Traitors in season 2. Why are the Faithfuls slipping up like the girl who winked, Joe Lycett last minute slip up about 'recruitment' and Joanne saying the tombs were horrible."
Another viewer stated: "I'm sobbing!" One person remarked: "This is a big loss to the show. Joe Lycett brought what Alan Carr brought last year... laughter! Farewell Joe." A fifth audience member declared: "I'M SO MAD, NOT JOE." Celebrity Traitors is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
