The second season of Celebrity Traitors, which launched on October 1, has not been as well-received as the first, according to some BBC viewers. Despite a cast featuring Richard E. Grant, Maya Jama, James Acaster, Professor Hannah Fry, and Ross Kemp, the series has drawn complaints about reluctant Traitors and overly cautious comedy stars.
Viewer complaints about the new series
Although some TV critics have branded the programme as "unmissable telly", some BBC viewers feel this season is slightly less "addictive" than the previous one. A common complaint is that because several reluctant Traitors were recruited after Grant's early exit, Maya Jama has had to do most of the tactical heavy lifting.
Others note that several big-name comedy stars seem hesitant to play aggressively out of fear of public backlash. One viewer wrote: "To be honest, I think they were lucky with Alan Carr during the first series as he was just so amazing on it, but missing him isn't the only problem."
James Acaster's reluctant performance
The casting directors have clearly tried to replicate Carr's genius by signing up six comedians. However, the main problem is that the comedian who ended up in the turret – James Acaster – isn't really bringing the fun. In fact, he seems so reluctant to be a Traitor that it is literally sucking out the joy for himself, as well as the audience.
After watching the October 15 episode, the viewer felt sorry for him, as he looked so tired and drawn, and it has been reported that filming had to be stopped during the series as he became so anxious. He wasn't the only bad pick as a Traitor either – Richard E. Grant literally put a dampener on the game from the start by revealing he was a Traitor.
Poor Traitor choices and cast dynamics
After Grant was gone, Maya and James decided to go for Hannah, who was probably the most obvious person – especially as it was between only her and Jerry Hall that could have been murdered that night – so all eyes were on them. The viewer noted that when Maya said she was considering Joanne McNally or Joe Lycett, they were nearly ready to give up on it.
Joe has been telling anyone who will listen that he wants to be a Traitor, while Joanne has suspicion on her as she never seems to vote out any of the Traitors. Luckily for viewers, James must have convinced Maya to recruit social media star King Kenny (Kenny Oghenovo Ojuederie). At the end of the show, he actually welcomes the role of Traitor and even gave a cackling evil laugh, and no one suspects him.
The viewer believes he is the only one who can save the series at this point, as James Acaster looks like he's ready to quit and Maya's decisions just seem to be silly. As well as the issue regarding the identity of the Traitors, the viewer also thinks that despite the cast being well-known, maybe they know each other too well, which is why they're too scared to get properly involved. For example, there wasn't much need for both Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan to both be on the show, as they are already seen together enough.
The viewer suggests putting someone less well-known in there who's really willing to get stuck in and make their mark rather than a normal celebrity who probably sees it as 'just another show'. At the minute, this series just feels a bit serious and depressing. There's no top gags like Alan's, there's no cheeky moments like Celia Imrie's fart, so it all just feels a bit flat.
If the show comes back for series three, the viewer is begging for producers to be a bit smarter with their casting and picks for the Traitors, otherwise they can see viewers quickly turning off, and despite being a super-fan, they will be one of them.
