Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson has thrown doubt on the authenticity of the BBC's smash-hit reality series, The Traitors, suggesting that producers must be manipulating the game behind the scenes.
Clarkson's Cynical Take on TV's Biggest Hit
Speaking ahead of a festive edition of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the 65-year-old former Top Gear host declared he 'doesn't believe The Traitors is real'. Despite branding the Claudia Winkleman-fronted show a 'belter' and insisting he is a fan, Clarkson argued that such high-stakes television cannot be left to chance.
'Come on, I've worked in television for 30 years,' Clarkson said. 'You're not going to spend that much money on a programme where there's a risk it all falls to pieces.' He conceded he has 'no idea how they're doing it', but bowed down to the production team's skill.
Clarkson elaborated on his belief that the format is steered by producers. 'They must be [manipulating it] - and I'm not just being a cynic, I know how television is made,' he stated. While acknowledging that directors cannot explicitly tell contestants what to say, he remained sceptical. 'I just don’t believe it’s all for real, because nothing in television is. I’m sitting there going, how are they doing this? It could just be unbelievably painstaking editing.'
New Series and Record-Breaking Ratings Confirmed
Clarkson's comments come as the BBC confirmed the return of the show's fourth civilian series, which will kick off on New Year's Day on BBC One at 8pm. A second episode will follow on January 2nd. The new series will feature 22 players battling to win a prize pot of up to £120,000, with the BBC promising more twists, turns, and deception.
The broadcaster also confirmed the return of the companion show, The Traitors: Uncloaked, hosted by Ed Gamble. Its first episode will air on BBC Two, with subsequent episodes moving to BBC One in a prime-time slot.
This follows the monumental success of the first celebrity edition, which launched in October. The debut episode of Celebrity Traitors drew a mammoth 14.8 million viewers, making it the BBC's biggest unscripted title since 2021. The finale, which saw comedian Alan Carr win, averaged 11 million viewers, setting a new record for the BBC's biggest overnight audience, surpassing the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special.
No Clarkson in the Castle, But Hammond a Maybe
Despite his fascination with the show, Jeremy Clarkson firmly ruled out ever appearing on the celebrity version himself, stating he 'wouldn't in a million years' sign up. However, he did speculate that his former co-host, Richard Hammond, might be well-suited to the game.
The BBC has officially greenlit a second series of Celebrity Traitors, set to air in 2026, following the record-breaking performance of the first. The finale also attracted 1.9 million live viewers on BBC iPlayer, the highest figure for any entertainment show on the streaming service.
