Viewers of The Celebrity Traitors have been left frustrated by the show's repeated use of cliffhangers, even as the BBC series continues to generate significant buzz. The latest episode, aired on Thursday, October 8, saw history made when actor Richard E Grant became the first Traitor ever to be banished during a show's first banishment.
Claudia Winkleman welcomed 21 new faces into the Scottish castle last week, including Ross Kemp, Jerry Hall, Michael Sheen, and Romesh Ranganathan. The banishment followed a tense cliffhanger the previous week, when the episode ended as the celebrities prepared to vote for the first person to leave. Many fans already suspected Richard was in trouble after he excitedly revealed to the group that Claudia had chosen him as a Traitor, before realizing his error and attempting to backtrack.
Viewers criticise cliffhanger format
Despite the drama, many viewers were unimpressed that the show's bosses left them hanging for days before the roundtable reveal. Some felt the series' cliffhangers drag things out and force viewers to watch certain scenes repeatedly, which they deemed unnecessary.
Taking to Reddit, one viewer said: "I get doing it in the first series as it made people want to come back, but by now the show is so successful that you don’t need these hooks of suspense. I personally think every episode should end with the murder cliffhanger or a big moment. I’m not a fan of the round table getting the cliffhanger treatment, especially when we now have to wait until NEXT THURSDAY. It’s more annoying than exciting for me personally."
Another added: "I dont even hate the third episode having a cliffhanger for a key moment but the repeated cliffhangers for every decision is bizarre and kills tension. It's ruining it as every decision is gone over ten times."
Hannah Fry recruited as Traitor
After the roundtable cliffhanger was resolved, Hannah Fry was recruited to replace Richard as a Traitor, alongside Maya Jama and James Acaster. However, viewers already believe her time is doomed, seeing her as the most obvious choice for the Traitors to recruit given she is one of their greatest threats, meaning fellow Faithfuls will be watching her every move.
They have also highlighted that players will grow increasingly wary of Hannah when she keeps surviving murders, since the Traitors would surely want her eliminated if she were a Faithful. Taking to X, one viewer remarked: "Recruiting Hannah was such an obvious mistake; she's never going to be able to explain her continued state of not having been murdered. Had they recruited anyone else she would still be under suspicion for, you guessed it, not being murdered. #CelebrityTraitors".
Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
