The producer behind The Celebrity Traitors has revealed that Tom Cruise is on the wish list for the next series, expressing confidence that securing such a major Hollywood star is not Mission Impossible.
Wish list for series three
Stephen Lambert, the show's creator, told the Radio Times who he hopes to see in the upcoming series: "Tom Cruise, maybe. And we would like to have a big sports star. But if they are an active one, they have commitments."
Lambert's optimism stems from the show's impressive cast and its success, currently attracting up to 9 million viewers per episode. He said: "The fact that so many famous people did it last year meant they all wanted to do it this year."
Universal appeal and dramatic irony
"The show has universal appeal. It has established itself as 'Appointment to View TV'. It's very difficult to get people to watch programmes, and there is a huge joy coming up with something that a very large amount of people watch," Lambert explained.
Asked about the format's pulling power, which TV producers worldwide have tried to copy, Lambert said: "Dramatic irony. It's the engine of The Traitors. It's about the pleasure that we know more than the protagonists – we know who is lying. And its fun to try and watch people work out who the liars are."
Revealing celebrity character
The show also offers viewers a new perspective on well-known personalities. "Celebrities find it uncomfortable because they have so little control," Lambert said. "It's such an immersive game that people get caught up in it, and show how they really are. It's very revealing of character, and celebrities care, a lot, how they come across."
West End stage show
Lambert is now preparing to launch The Traitors – Acts of Betrayal, a stage show debuting in London's West End next May. He revealed: "It's all about how scripts can do what the unscripted cannot. We will have five different plays, with different versions of who is a Traitor and who a Faithful. Nick Mohammed is hosting. Each week, five entirely different plays will run, and then every Saturday, the audience chooses who is going to be a Traitor."
He promises the live show will be "profound and entertaining" even without Claudia Winkleman.
