Why I’m Nervous About Celebrity Traitors

Celebrity Traitors has officially announced its cast and will air this year, but superfan Joely Chilcott has reservations.

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

Meet me in January and you can bet your life savings that I'm going to mention The Traitors within the first 30 seconds. It becomes my whole personality over the three weeks it airs, along with Claudia Winkleman's enviable array of winter outfits. And I know I'm not the only one. The season 3 finale reached a peak of 7.4 million viewers as we collectively watched with bated breath to see Leanne and Jake crowned winners (and Alexander became the nation's sweetheart).

As streaming platforms offer neverending TV options, it's rare that a show can bring back collective, live viewing, yet this is the magic of The Traitors. The psychological reality competition involves a group of contestants who work together to complete missions and earn money. Meanwhile, secretly, a few among them are "Traitors" trying to sabotage and eliminate the others.

My group chats pop off throughout every show as we dissect and analyse the game play of the cast. Yes, it's reality TV but it's strategic, competitive and spotlights deception. The tense murder mystery subject matter has me hiding behind cushions and genuinely excited for the next episode when left with a cliff hanger. In short, it's compulsive viewing.

Experts Featured in This Article

Dr. Lalitaa Suglani, is an award-winning psychologist, leadership empowerment expert, international speaker, and author of the book High Functioning Anxiety. She has a mission to help others in their personal and professional life by understanding and accepting the emotions, attachments and relationships we hold.

Darren Stanton is a former police officer with Derbyshire police with a degree in psychology, who used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant, being dubbed the "Human Lie Detector" appearing on the likes of BBC's The One Show and ITV's This Morning.

"The Traitors is so popular because people can explore parts of their personality without real consequence," says Darren Stanton, former police officer and body language expert. "It allows people to explore the darker sides of themselves - to hurt people and lie." The twists and turns in the show keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

"It taps directly into our primal psychology, trust, survival, and group belonging," adds Dr Lalitaa, award winning psychologist. "The blend of suspense and social strategy mirrors real-world dynamics in a heightened, theatrical way. As viewers, we become both observers and participants, mentally placing ourselves in the game and asking, 'Who would I trust?' It plays with our instincts and insecurities, which makes it emotionally addictive and deeply entertaining."

"We become both observers and participants, mentally placing ourselves in the game and asking, 'Who would I trust?' It plays with our instincts and insecurities, which makes it emotionally addictive and deeply entertaining."

The brilliance of the show is also a mix between the psychological warfare and expert BBC casting. "It reveals how much people rely on body language, tone, and eye contact to judge trustworthiness — and how easily those cues can be manipulated," Dr Lalitaa explains. The diverse mix of British eccentricity provides a real smorgasbord of personalities. Everyone watching can insert themselves into the show, dissecting what they think they would do in that same situation, because they recognise at least one member of the cast as someone they know.

And that's where my problem lies with Celebrity Traitors. I'm concerned, guys. The celebrity cast has been rumoured for weeks, and has finally been confirmed. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty stellar lineup. Stephen Fry, Alan Carr and Tom Daley will meet Paloma Faith, Celia Imrie and Clare Balding, among others. I'm glad it's not a who's who of former Love Island stars, proving The Traitors gravitas in the reality TV space. But my issue is with the celebrity concept in general. It's why I've never endeavoured to watch the US version because I don't need another celebrity reality show.

BBC

We know these celebrities. Sure, I don't know the inner workings of Alan Carr's mind (although one watch of Amanda & Alan's Italian Job and I will assume Aperol Spritz is on the brain), but the beauty of the usual series is that we are introduced to the cast for the very first time as they meet at train stations. Not only will the audience have preconceived ideas about the celebrities taking part, but the celebrities themselves will too. No one is starting from a place of anonymity. No one will be able to fool the rest of the cast about being Welsh (like Charlotte in series 3 - still a mind-blowing strategy).

"Celebrities come with pre-established personas, which means audiences might already trust or distrust them based on past roles or public image," says Dr Lalitaa. "This could skew the fairness and mystery of the game."

While naturally competitive celebrities are likely to give us all a show, as the game continues, it gets serious. Real money is at stake and, for some of the cast, the hope of winning big could genuinely change their lives. Currently unconfirmed, the assumption is that the celebrity cast may play for charity. Of course, they will endeavour to win, but let's be honest, the motivation isn't quite the same. When season 3's Charlotte gave an impassioned plea that, should she win the prize money, it would go towards fertility treatment, it proved to be so much more than a game.

"Celebrities come with pre-established personas, which means audiences might already trust or distrust them based on past roles or public image."

As a long-term Love Island fan, when ITV announced two series a year, my investment began to wane. And I worry that the popularity of The Traitors has made for greedy TV execs looking to capitalise on its success. But at what expense? I doubt we'll see the meme-worthy misspellings at the round table this season, for example. "Celebrities may not be driven by the money prize but what will be their motivator is getting one up on someone else and coming out as the top dog. Celebrities want to be the best and a lot of their career is based on succeeding and standing out. That will be interesting to see," Stanton says.

One thing will remain consistent: the goddess that is Claudia Winkleman. Wardrobe aside, her sheer love of the show is palpable. I've thought many times about how I would love to be her friend, but nothing makes me more sure of it than when The Traitors is on. She squeals, she is invested, she loves it. And I have no doubt that will continue.

Am I going to watch the Celebrity Traitors? Of course. Am I going to moan about how it's not as good as the original? Undoubtedly. "It may be more enjoyable if viewed through a different lens, not as a direct sequel, but as a sister show with its own flavour," Dr Lalitaa says. "It might lean more into theatre than tension, but that can still make for compelling television if we adjust our expectations." I am 100 percent faithful to the show, but time will tell if a celebrity version betrays the concept for me.

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

Miatamil

Listed here the latest Trending News