Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has become the latest celebrity to depart the BBC programme after securing the highest number of votes during the most recent round table. On Friday evening (October 9), the moment arrived for the group to determine which member they suspected was deceiving them and concealing their Traitor identity.
Third contestant to face banishment
The former Coronation Street favourite became the third contestant to face banishment from the programme, revealing to her fellow players before her exit that she had remained a Faithful throughout. This follows the group's previous mistake when they also eliminated another Faithful after suspecting Myha'la of betraying them.
Nevertheless, the celebrities had made an impressive beginning when they successfully identified which star had been misleading them during the initial round table, opting to banish Richard E. Grant after he made a crucial error and confessed to being a Traitor.
'The best feeling'
When questioned about how it felt to eliminate a Traitor during the first Round Table, Julie revealed it was 'the best feeling'. She commented, "I cannot begin to tell you how incredible that feeling is. Right up there with marriage and childbirth, haha!"
"And then for Claudia to come in and say that that has never happened in any series of the Traitors ever! But of course, it created this atmosphere of such cockiness and such blood thirstiness; it was a bit of a poisoned chalice ultimately."
Viewer reactions
BBC viewers have witnessed suspicions beginning to mount against certain members of the group, particularly Hannah Fry, who was recently enlisted to join the Traitors alongside James Acaster and Maya Jama.
Yet following Julie's banishment, doubts are now turning towards James Blunt, who remained convinced Julie was deceiving the group, reports Wales Online.
During the most recent episode, King Kenny expressed his frustration at Julie's elimination, describing her as one of the celebrities who had been working tirelessly to uncover the deceivers amongst them.
He confided in Miranda Hart: "You know what's so annoying? We got rid of someone trustworthy. Someone who was going out of their way to hunt people. She was so proactive, and she's gone. That's genuinely our biggest loss."
It didn't take long for viewers on X to voice their reactions to Julie's banishment, with many left heartbroken by her premature departure. One person said: "I can't lie, I'm actually devastated that Julie got banished-I really wanted to see what else she could do."
Another added: "What a wild episode, I am so sad they all turned on Julie, I feel so sorry for James Blunt, who will be our first isolated contestant." While a fourth shared: "I hope they all feel AWFUL, how dare they come for Julie."
Celebrity Traitors continues on Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One from 9pm.
