The atmosphere inside the Celebrity Traitors castle reportedly remained tense even when cameras stopped rolling, with one contestant said to have lost their nerve during filming.
The new season of the BBC reality series has seen Traitors Maya Jama, James Acaster and Professor Hannah Fry attempt to outwit the Faithfuls. After Traitor Richard E. Grant revealed his identity, the Faithfuls have struggled to identify the remaining Traitors, banishing earnest contestants including Myha'la and Julie Hesmondhalgh in consecutive roundtables.
Off-camera tension and paranoia
Insiders reported that tension seeped off-camera, creating an unsettling atmosphere. A source told the Mail on Sunday: “The tension is coming across on screen, but it was just as bad if not worse when the cameras stopped rolling.”
The source claimed contestants found it difficult to “switch off from their game” even at night, remaining “at each other’s throats” and filled with “utter paranoia.” They added: “They were all making each other more stressed out. A lot of them just couldn’t hack it, I’m not sure what they thought they were signing up to.”
“One contestant really lost their nerve at one point and their co-stars were absolutely stunned,” the source said, also noting that comedian Rob Beckett “really struggled at points” to his co-stars’ surprise.
Production pauses and scrapped plans
Ahead of the show airing, it was reported that James Acaster, now known to be a reluctant Traitor, became so “anxious and panicked” that production briefly stopped rolling to check on him at the request of his castmates. The source at the time clarified the pause “didn’t affect the outcome of the game at all.”
An insider also claimed that an unforeseen twist during filming forced producers to “throw their plans out of the window” and scrap a pre-planned cliffhanger.
Final outcome at risk
The outcome of the entire game could be in jeopardy after the stars making the final were allegedly leaked, with a friend of one contestant reportedly revealing the information. The BBC is said to be hoping the classified information does not make its way online.
Stars are sworn to secrecy regarding how the show will play out, with the final still three weeks away. Celebrity Traitors airs at 8pm on BBC One on Thursday and Friday nights.
