Finally, it’s that time of year again: the temperature is dropping, the nights are drawing in, and a group of celebrities are about to spend several weeks lying to one another in a Scottish castle. That’s right, Celebrity Traitors is back.
The VIP version of the BBC gameshow returns for its second season tonight, after its inaugural series broke records last year with 15 million viewers tuning in to watch Alan Carr clinch the win.
The formidable and fringed Claudia Winkelman is back on hosting duties, presiding over a new crop of 21 stars, up from 19 last year, who are ready to backstab their way to victory.
Among this year’s line-up are “Big Dogs” Richard E Grant and Miranda Hart, “Dark Horses” Bella Ramsey and social media star King Kenny, and “Under-the-Radar” contenders Julie Hesmondhalgh of Coronation Street and Industry actor Myha’la. See the full list of contestants here.
Tonight’s episode will be a tense one as Claudia chooses her Traitors, and the stars start to form alliances – all of which will presumably be broken almost as quickly as they are made.
Twists and turns will abound, I’m sure so stay tuned for all things Traitors right here…
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Key Points
- What time does tonight's episode start?
- The full celebrity cast for Celeb Traitors 2026
- How much are the celebrities being paid and what is the prize pot?
Who is King Kenny? This year’s resident social media star will likely be unknown to many viewers at home despite his 2 million-strong following on YouTube – where he posts entertainment vlogs and prank videos.
Kenny, full name Kenny Oghenovo Ojuederie, is a former boxer who primarily fought other influencers, before quitting the sport earlier this year due to injury.
While he’s not technically a comedian, it sounds like he’ll bring plenty of laughs with his pranks and stunts.
16:00 , Annabel Nugent Also covering his back is James Acaster who expressed “concern” for himself and his fellow comedians in the castle given that, according to him, they will be the first ones to be put under the microscope following Alan Carr’s win last year.
“He has tainted us all!” Acaster said of Carr.
James Acaster shares ‘concern’ over ‘tainted’ Celebrity Traitors role
Some stars seem to already be making excuses, with Welsh actor Michael Sheen – one of this year’s “Big Dogs” – claiming that actors are at a real “disadvantage” in the competition because people think they lie for a living.
It’s not not true – but you’re going to win with that attitude, Michael...
15:00 , Annabel NugentAmong the lesser known celebrities taking part this year is Professor Hannah Fry, a mathematician who is hoping her statistical expertise will give her an edge in the castle.
Self-described “toxically competitive” Fry, who teaches at the University of Cambridge, is also a presenter on several BBC TV and radio shows, including The Secret Genius of Modern Life.
Ahead of filming this year, Fry revealed that she used her knowledge of statistics to prepare for her appearance.
The professor went back through all previous seasons of the show to “try and find statistically significant patterns” in a process not dissimilar from “the same bit of math that Alan Turing used to crack the Enigma machine” – a cipher device used by the German military during World War II.
Talk about dedication!
14:25 , Annabel Nugent For a show like Celebrity Traitors, the real treasure is definitely not the friends you make along the way, but the cold, hard cash waiting for you at the finish line... and the starting line?
See below for how much this year’s contestants are being paid to take part – and how much the winner will get in the finale.
How much are Celebrity Traitors being paid and what prize will the winner get?
14:20 , Annabel NugentThis year’s line-up is stacked – and even bigger than last year’s, with 21 celebrities taking part compared with 19 in the first season.
It goes without saying that there’s a fair few recognisable faces on the celeb version of the show, but here’s a handy cheat sheet for anyone you don’t happen to recognise...
Meet the full lineup of stars competing on Celebrity Traitors 2026
14:17 , Annabel NugentWe’re mere hours away from the first episode of the season, which is due to start on BBC One at 8pm and will have an extended run-time of 75 minutes. Lucky us!
And stick around for all the behind-the-castle drama that will be discussed on Uncloaked, which will begin straight after the main episode at 9.15pm and run for 30 minutes.
14:12 , Annabel NugentHello and welcome to The Independent’s first Celebrity Traitors liveblog of the year, where you can keep up with everything Traitors-related – from hilarious memes to unmissable moments and what iconic jumper Claudia is wearing underneath her cloak.
