Celebrity Traitors returns to screens tonight (Oct 22) for its fifth episode, and fans will finally find out if the Traitors managed to successfully murder in plain sight. Last Friday night's episode was left on a cliffhanger as Maya Jama, James Acaster and King Kenny struggled to 'bore a Faithful to death' by causing them to willingly yawn in their secret mission.
The Traitors have had an unusually tough start in the castle this year, with two already down before the BBC programme hit the halfway mark. Of course, a handful of Faithfuls have also left the game by either murder or banishment. Among those who received the latter exit was Coronation Street's Julie Hesmondhalgh.
Hailed as the most 'trusted' contestant during the first episode of Celebrity Traitors, the title did not age well as her co-stars ended up suspicious of her and voted her out at the Round Table.
Five Strict Rules Behind the Scenes
After her stint in the Scottish Highlands Castle, the Corrie star has revealed what starring on Claudia Winkleman's psychological reality show was really like in an interview with Good House Keeping. While the players are meant to remain tight-lipped on the behind the scenes of the Celebrity Traitors, Julie revealed there is a lot more going on than what viewers are seeing at home.
Here are the five most intense rules on the show that fans will not know about.
Psychological Support
Julie admitted to Good House Keeping that she was surprised by how intense the show actually was. While she insisted it was 'massive fun', she added that it's a 'massive hothouse' due to all the players being cut off from the rest of the world. The soap star added that the experience also left her sleep deprived, noting that if you're a public figure whose on-screen persona is different from who you really are, then you will likely struggle.
Thankfully, there is help on hand for the stars. Julie revealed that the BBC provides a psychotherapist to support the contestants during filming, and many of the players take advantage of it. She explained: "You get lots of psychological support but nothing prepares you. You have to remind yourself all the time that it’s a game."
You Get One Call a Day
As Julie said, you are truly cut off from the rest of the world, so when it comes to communication outside the castle doors, the rules are tight. The stars are allowed to contact their families once a day via a phone call, and it can't be on their own mobile. Julie told Good House Keeping: "You get one supervised phone call a day on production’s phone."
Traitor James Acaster also backed this up when he told the Mirror: "You can’t have an authentic conversation because you can’t tell them anything that’s happening. At one point my partner said, ‘Have you caught the sun?’ I was saying, ‘Oh yeah, we were outside for one of the missions.’ I was told I couldn’t even tell her that."
Traitors' Chat Is Monitored
If you're sat home thinking the players spend all their time inside discussing the game and their theories behind who is a Traitor, then that is simply not the case. There are strict rules in place around when the stars are allowed to speak about who they think the Traitors are, which means that most of the time, they're just getting to know one another. Julie said she formed 'accelerated friendships' inside the castle as there is a lot of down time together when you aren't allowed to discuss the game. She added that she found out so much about her co-stars and she was really touched to have been trusted with personal aspects of their lives.
No TV Allowed
Julie revealed that TVs are banned during filming of the Celebrity Traitors. She explained that televisions weren't allowed because of 'ways that you can ascertain who went to bed latest'. Spotify music is also not allowed as you can speak to one another through it.
Traditional Entertainment Is Allowed
While technology is banned, the players are still very much allowed to indulge in some old-fashioned reading time. When asked what the most important item Julie brought with her to the castle was, she revealed she packed a really good book to enjoy when she was alone in her room at night. And from what Julie told the publication, the players definitely go to bed well fed. She said she was a big fan of the food in the castle, revealing that she and Romesh were the two vegans out of the cast. She added: "I dropped off a little bit and went veggie during it. But we were very well catered for. There were many dietary needs and I’m very grateful to the caterers."
