Maya Jama was photographed arriving at Inverness Airport on Sunday afternoon, ready to begin filming the second series of Celebrity Traitors. The Love Island presenter has traded the warm climates of Spain and South Africa for the Scottish Highlands, reportedly accepting a significant pay cut to participate in the BBC show.
Stars Touch Down in Scotland
Earlier on Sunday, Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh and EastEnders star Ross Kemp, 61, also landed at Inverness before driving to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. The full cast for series two was officially announced on Saturday when the BBC released the first teaser trailer. Alongside Maya Jama, Jerry Hall and Romesh Ranganathan were already seen heading to the castle over the weekend.
Shortly after the announcement, Jerry Hall was spotted arriving in Inverness with Richard E. Grant, Bella Ramsey, and Amol Rajan, before they too set off for the Highlands. After months of speculation about who would follow in the footsteps of last year's winner Alan Carr, the 21 names were finally revealed in a quirky new trailer.
Full Cast Line-Up
Joining the stars at Ardross Castle are Michael Sheen and James Blunt. Comedians Rob Beckett, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart, Joanna McNally, and James Acaster will also take part, alongside Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock. The line-up is completed by mathematician Hannah Fry, broadcaster Amol Rajan, prankster King Kenny, Industry star Myha'la, Heartstopper's Sebastian Croft, and My Mad Fat Diary's Sharon Rooney.
Set in an airport arrivals hall, the trailer shows a line of actors holding iconic roundtable chalkboards with the celebrities' names. In a humorous nod to the show, many names are deliberately misspelled, such as 'Rob Bucket', 'Miranda Heart', and 'Richardy Grant'.
Sharing the clip on Instagram, the BBC wrote: 'Host Claudia Winkleman will welcome an eclectic mix of people and personalities ranging from BAFTA and BRIT award winners through to social media stars plus some of the UK's most cherished actors, comedians, presenters and beyond as the celebrities question who they can and can't really trust, figure out who deserves to be banished and try to discover which of them is plotting murder under the cover of darkness.'
Maya Jama's Involvement
Maya Jama was reportedly the first star approached by Celebrity Traitors bosses to attract a younger audience. The 31-year-old was top of the producers' wish list due to her appeal from hosting Love Island. She reportedly took a £760,000 pay cut, accepting a £40,000 fee after falling in love with the series while watching it with her boyfriend, footballer Rúben Dias.
A source said: 'She loved watching the first Celebrity Traitors series at home with boyfriend Rúben and is so excited to get filming. She can't wait to do some fibbing and be as deceitful as possible to try to win it. It has worked out perfectly that she can go straight from the Scottish castle to the villa in Majorca to film the summer Love Island series in June.'
Cast Biographies
Jerry Hall rose to fame in the 1970s as a fashion icon. The American model and actress, 69, is known for her relationships with Mick Jagger and Rupert Murdoch, and her role in the 1989 film Batman.
Maya Jama, 31, is a popular TV presenter who fronts Love Island. She is known for her style and has worked on The Masked Singer and her own BBC Radio 1 show.
Richard E. Grant, 68, is a British national treasure celebrated for roles in Withnail & I and Everybody's Talking About Jamie. He is also known for his charismatic personality and memoirs.
Miranda Hart, 53, broke through with her sitcom Miranda and has since expanded into film and theatre, including roles in Call The Midwife.
James Blunt, 52, shot to fame with his debut album and hit single 'You're Beautiful'. He is known for his emotive ballads and dry humour.
Romesh Ranganathan, 48, is a comedian known for his deadpan delivery, fronting shows like The Weakest Link and Rob And Romesh VS.
Ross Kemp, 61, recently returned to EastEnders as Grant Mitchell. An insider said: 'He loves Traitors and thinks it's a programme on another level. He wanted to take part for the mix of psychological intrigue and physical trials.'
James Acaster, 41, is a comedian and friend of Ed Gamble, host of The Traitors: Uncloaked. He co-hosts the podcast Off Menu.
Michael Sheen, 57, is a Welsh actor celebrated for roles in Good Omens and The Queen, and for portraying real-life figures like Tony Blair.
Bella Ramsey, 22, rose to fame as Lyanna Mormont in Game Of Thrones and gained acclaim for their leading role in The Last Of Us.
Rob Beckett, 40, is a comedian known for his high-energy laugh, co-hosting Rob & Romesh Vs and appearing on Taskmaster.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 34, rose to fame as a member of Little Mix, winning The X Factor in 2011. She has since launched a solo career.
Sharon Rooney is a Scottish actress best known for her breakout role as Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary, with roles in Barbie and Two Doors Down.
Joe Lycett, 37, is known for his inventive pranks and TV shows Joe Lycett's Got Your Back and Late Night Lycett.
Joanne McNally, 42, is an Irish comedian known for her brutally honest humour and podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me.
Hannah Fry, 42, is a mathematician and broadcaster who makes data accessible through documentaries and books.
Amol Rajan, 42, is a journalist and broadcaster, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme and University Challenge.
Julie Hesmondhalgh, 56, is best known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street, the first transgender character in a British soap. She played the role from 1998 to 2014.
King Kenny (Kenny Ojuederie) is a content creator with over 2 million YouTube subscribers, known for prank videos.
Myha'la, 30, is an American actress known for her role in Industry and appearances in Black Mirror and Bodies Bodies Bodies.
Sebastian Croft, 24, is known for his role as Ben Hope in Heartstopper and as Young Ned Stark in Game Of Thrones.
