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 hit show returned for its hugely anticipated second season on Thursday night (1 October), with the formidable and fringed Claudia Winkleman presiding over a new crop of 21 stars ready to backstab their way to victory, with tough guy Ross Kemp already letting his paranoia get the best of him.
Richard E Grant, meanwhile, was overjoyed to find himself selected as a Traitor alongside Love Island’s Maya Jama. It wasn’t long, though, before the actor made a serious blunder as he confessed to being a Traitor to the whole castle before trying to play it off as a joke.
The Saltburn star was given a chance at redemption, however, when he and Jama were tasked with choosing their third Traitor. The duo opted for two names who had been most vocal in their suspicions about Grant: comedian James Acaster and journalist Amol Rajan.
Acaster and Rajan were called in the middle of the night to plead their case for why they would make a good Traitor, with viewers having to wait until Friday night’s (2 October) episode to see who will complete the 2027 Traitor trio – and who will be on the chopping block.
Stay tuned for all things Traitors right here…
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Key Points
- The full celebrity cast for Celeb Traitors 2026
- How much are the celebrities being paid and what is the prize pot?
- Celebrity Traitors s2 will restore your faith in the universe
- James Acaster and Amol Rajan vie for a spot in the Traitors turret
I’ve got to agree with Ed Gamble who called Ross Kemp’s paranoia one of “the funniest things I’ve seen on TV”.
Ed Gamble says Ross Kemp on Traitors is ‘one of funniest things I’ve ever seen’
01:00 , Annabel NugentThe best part of Traitors has got to be the memes...
Ross Kemp every-time someone brushes past him #CelebrityTraitors #Traitors pic.twitter.com/M2bZauQBAu
— alice may dear (@According2Al) October 1, 2026
anyone: *looks at ross kemp*
— bethany (gogglebox wannabe) (@_beth_underwood) October 1, 2026
ross kemp:#celebritytraitorsuk #celebritytraitors #traitors pic.twitter.com/5KG6Ht7lIZ
00:00 , Annabel NugentRoss thinks there’s about 12 Traitors #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/r4ZWuzwCnF
— Rob Mitchell (@1RobMitch) October 1, 2026
ICYMI, Claudia selected Richard E Grant and Maya Jama as her Traitors of the season. Here’s a shot of them looking particularly mischievous…
23:00 , Annabel Nugent The action will resume once again on Friday night, with the second episode of Celeb Traitors airing at 8pm on BBC One. Don’t miss it!
22:00 , Annabel Nugent And that’s a wrap on all things Celebrity Traitors for tonight… be sure to stay tuned to this live blog, which will be running through to tomorrow’s episode when we’ll find out the fates of James Acaster and Amol Rajan.
21:44 , Annabel NugentI hadn’t realised that King Kenny has a connection to past Celeb Traitors contestant Niko Omilana.
Both social media stars are part of the YouTube collective Beta Squad. King Kenny has said he wants to avenge his pal who was booted off the show early last year.
21:38 , Annabel Nugent I missed that moment earlier when James Blunt explained why he’s been a traitor his whole life. “I’m the guy who tells everyone they’re beautiful when they’re not. ”
Well, that’s a bit… blunt.
(Forgive me!)
21:37 , Annabel NugentKate Garraway is talking about Michael Sheen who, I must say, I completely forgot was even in the show. The Welsh actor had very little screen time in the first episode, but I’m looking forward to seeing more of him as the season goes on.
21:35 , Annabel Nugent“He’s here for a good time, not a long time”... Stephen on Richard E Grant, and I don’t disagree.
Though, Richard does have likability going for him. I do think there’s something to be said for the fact his fellow contestants will want to keep him around purely for the vibes.
21:33 , Annabel Nugent Moments before disaster...
21:29 , Annabel Nugent Ed Gamble is saying exactly what I was thinking during that Richard E Grant moment!
All Richard had to do to cover up his confession is quickly laugh and say, “I’m joking!” Instead, he doubled down. Totally bizarre... great telly, though.
21:27 , Annabel NugentRichard did manage to slip his confession by Jerry Hall who said she knows Richard isn’t a Traitor thanks to her special insight as his neighbour. Oh Jerry, if only you knew.
21:25 , Annabel NugentWe’re off to a rollicking start with a superb, action-packed first episode of Celeb Traitors.
Check out our five-star review here...
The Celebrity Traitors is so glorious it’ll restore your faith in the universe
21:24 , Annabel NugentI agree that Amol made a strong plea for himself, but so did James – particularly given that he didn’t want to be a Traitor in the first place.
21:22 , Annabel Nugent Stephen thinks Maya and Richard have made a grave error picking Amol and James given that both stars have repeatedly thrown suspicion on to Richard. If either of them are murdered, it points straight to Richard.
According to Stephen, Ross – who is accusing everyone under the sun – would’ve been the better choice. It’s hard to argue with that!
21:19 , Annabel NugentFor those of you who don’t know, The Traitors: Uncloaked is the official companion show/podcast for the series and features interviews with recently banished and murdered players, expert analysis from former contestants, celebrity superfans, and unseen footage. The best part of it is getting to see the moment that the eliminated players discover the true identities of the Traitors – there’s a lot of “I KNEW IT!”
21:18 , Annabel Nugent Celeb Traitors star Cat Burns is on Uncloaked and has named her winner of the series: Maya Jama.
21:17 , Annabel NugentAnd just as quickly as it started, the first episode of Celebrity Traitors is done and dusted. Not to worry, though, there’s plenty of debriefing to be done on the spin-off show Uncloaked, which will begin… right about now.
21:17 , Annabel NugentDun dun dun… of course it’s a cliffhanger! It wouldn’t be Traitors without it, I suppose – thought that doesn’t make it any less annoying.
21:12 , Annabel NugentIt’s a tough one but I think I would pick James to stay simply because he’s a comedian. Who doesn’t need a good laugh when you find yourself suddenly lying face-up in a coffin?
21:10 , Annabel NugentOur Traitors are looking good!
21:08 , Annabel NugentPersonally, I think it will be Amol who is the one to go. James has been very vocal about his suspicions of Richard, so I think taking him out of the game would be too obvious a move.
21:07 , Annabel Nugent I do love getting a little bit of insight into celebrity handwriting...
21:06 , Annabel Nugent So that’s it: James Acaster and Amol Rajan are being summoned to the chapel, which means one of them will be the next Traitor and one of them will be going home.
I can’t believe it’ll be the final night for either of them – it’s hardly worth unpacking your bags for!
21:05 , Annabel NugentAre you listening to this music right now? The lyrics are very literal, aren’t they? All about killing and dying... it’s like the Halloween version of the AI-sounding songs that soundtrack Love Island.
21:03 , Annabel NugentIt’s time for Richard and Maya to decide which two Faithfuls they are going to call upon… it is a bit of a shame that basically the only angle they can consider is who is going to throw the attention off Richard. He’s really shot himself in the foot hasn’t he?
Deliberation sees a number of names thrown into the mix: Romesh, Bella, Amol, and “laser-eyed” James Acaster. I’d be sorry to see any of them go so soon!
21:02 , Annabel NugentAnd just like that, it’s time for bed again. I do always feel sorry for the Faithfuls who have to scamper off back to their individual rooms for the night while the Traitors get up to mischief in the Turret. I would have major FOMO.
21:02 , Annabel NugentRoss’s paranoia is in overdrive! Now he thinks Leigh-Anne has laid him to rest after the Little Mix singer touched his shoulder in the bar. Sometimes a touch on the shoulder is just a touch on the shoulder…
20:56 , Annabel Nugent Oh no, Ross Kemp’s paranoia is getting the better of him. The soap star is convinced that Bella Ramsey has just slyly killed him after they placed a sailor’s hat atop his head… It seems everyone is scarred after watching Alan Carr secretly murder Paloma Faith in plain sight last season.
20:55 , Annabel Nugent Fair play to the celebrities who have just about managed to add the full £15,000 to their prize pot after this mission. ICYMI, this is how much the winner of the series will receive…
How much are Celebrity Traitors being paid and what prize will the winner get?
20:54 , Annabel NugentOof! Did you see the size of that explosion? BBC has really upped the production value… it’s looking more like a Marvel film than a British game show.
20:53 , Annabel NugentThe memes have already started rolling in...
20:53 , Annabel Nugentrichard being a traitor and then immediately telling everyone he’s a traitor 😭😭😭 #CelebrityTraitors #CelebrityTraitorsUK #Traitors pic.twitter.com/G7ZPPoAGJz
— bethany (gogglebox wannabe) (@_beth_underwood) October 1, 2026
Perhaps lesser known to the wider Traitors audience is 24-year-old actor Sebastian Croft, who some viewers may recognise from Netflix’s coming-of-age hit Heartstopper.
20:50 , Annabel Nugent A hilarious impression of “lollygagging” Jerry Hall from Romesh.
Some people have taken issue with the amount of comedians in this year’s cast, but moments like this are proof that the more, the merrier.
20:48 , Annabel NugentThere goes James Blunt charging into the waters, and drawing on his experience as a military man.
Did you know the “Wisemen” singer served as a British Army Captain in the Life Guards before starting his music career?
Less surprising is tough guy Ross Kemp who has also jumped straight into the action.
20:46 , Annabel Nugent We’re two minutes into a spiel about chests, codes, and a captain’s safe and I’m lost already. It’s like when a friend is trying to explain the rules of a board game at a party but a million times worse.
Let’s just jump to the round table, shall we?
20:45 , Annabel Nugent James Acaster is proving quite the astute contestant, revealing that he would put Richard’s name down if the round table were to happen right now. If only he knew how right he was…
20:44 , Annabel NugentWhat’s that, James Blunt? You greased your nipples with the butter from breakfast? Alright then.
20:43 , Annabel Nugent Ah… the first mission of the series.
To be honest, I personally find the missions tedious and totally dull, but I’m happy to have my mind changed this time around.
20:42 , Annabel NugentI’m dying at this exchange between Richard and Maya in which he’s pretending to be her badly behaved dog: “It’s like having an unhinged uncle running around in the castle that is my partner in crime.” Woof!
20:41 , Annabel Nugent OK, so the twist has been revealed: Maya and Richard have the opportunity to choose their third Traitor, selecting two Faithfuls to plead their case in a face-to-face meeting.
One will be selected to complete the treacherous trio, and the other will find themselves on the chopping block.
20:39 , Annabel Nugent I must say, Richard is seriously pulling off that cloak!
20:38 , Annabel Nugent Let’s just rewind shall we and clock Joe Lycett’s reaction to Richard E Grant’s confession...
20:37 , Annabel Nugent The clock has chimed and it’s time for our contestants to hit the sack – though not Richard and Maya who are due for their first meeting in the turret. I think Maya will have some choice words for Richard after that egregious faux-pas of his.
20:35 , Annabel NugentI fear Richard may be right when he says that Traitors slip-up may be the biggest mistake of his life. Maya Jama is similarly concerned about her fellow Traitor – not that she knows it’s him yet.
“What game is he playing?” she asks… that is the question of the hour.
20:32 , Annabel NugentDid I just hear that right – Richard confessing to being Traitor?! I think the look on everyone’s faces says it all… Oof, I don’t know what he’s playing at but I don’t know if this double bluff is going to work out in his favour!
20:31 , Annabel NugentRichard’s given us some words to live by, courtesy of his late wife: “Find a pocketful of happiness in each day.” He’s found a wheelbarrow full and then some this evening after being named a Traitor – just look at that grin!
20:29 , Annabel Nugent OK so a third Traitor is on the way – they just haven’t been selected yet. I wonder who it’ll be… if it were up to us at The Independent, we’d be making a compelling argument for either Miranda Hart or Rob Beckett.
I can practically hear the collective sigh of relief as Claudia tells the contestants there won’t be a murder tonight.
20:28 , Annabel NugentOur third Celeb Traitor of 2027 is… no one? Only two stars have been picked by Claudia to be Traitors so far and the round table is over, though. I’m sure she’s got a trick up her sleeve.
20:27 , Annabel Nugent Our second Celeb Traitor of 2027 is… Richard E Grant. Dreams do come true! The Saltburn star is overjoyed at being picked to murder; he’s practically twirling his moustache...
20:27 , Annabel NugentOur first Celeb Traitor of 2027 is… Maya Jama who has declared the beginning of her “villain era” and we’re here for it.
20:26 , Annabel NugentThis bit always reminds me of playing heads down, thumbs up in school. The click-clack of shoes, all the strategic pausing and heavy breathing...
20:24 , Annabel Nugent “I will be the best traitor of all time. I will also be the cutest.” Yes, Myha-la.
20:23 , Annabel Nugent According to Joe Lycett, a trustworthy face has big eyes and a small-ish smile. Tell me: is this the face of a trustworthy man?
20:22 , Annabel Nugent It’s funny hearing people make their case for why they’d make a good Traitor.
On the one hand, you’ve got Ross Kemp talking about the importance of lying when he’s come face-to-face with a cartel boss.
On the other hand, Joanne McNally’s credentials come from the fact she’s a single woman on a dating app: “Do you know how much lying goes into that?” Both valid arguments, in my opinion.
20:21 , Annabel NugentRichard E Grant is making no secret of the fact he desperately wants to be a Traitor; the blood thirst is real. I worry that it may not swing his way, though... there is such a thing as wanting it too much.
20:19 , Annabel Nugent Ah, the dreaded picture wall where even the most beautiful celebrity is subject to heinous lighting and unflattering angles. That said, I must agree with Rob that James Blunt looks pretty darn good up there. As for Rob’s own photo: “Why is mine taken from a true crime documentary?” Well, someone had to say it…
20:18 , Annabel NugentThe simpler, the better, according to Amol, whose game plan goes as such: “Play fair, but play hard, and play to win.” It’s hard to argue with that.
20:17 , Annabel Nugent“Where’s the food?” – Richard E Grant saying what everyone’s thinking as soon as he steps foot in the castle. Thankfully, he’s found an apple.
20:16 , Annabel Nugent Personally, I am very excited to see Sharon Rooney back on screen. The actor was so superb in My Mad Fat Diary ,but disappeared as of late before scoring a brief role in Barbie – lawyer Barbie, remember? – hopefully she gets some good screen time here.
20:15 , Annabel NugentWell that’s a lovely offer from James Blunt who has promised Jerry Hall that he’ll wear all of her fabulous outfits if she is the first to go.
Suddenly, I’m hoping the Texan model finds herself on the chopping block.
20:14 , Annabel NugentI must say Julie is looking quite the cult leader in her long red dress and shield necklace…
20:13 , Annabel Nugent Forget diamond rings, these celebrities would rather get their hands on one of these garish necklaces to protect them against elimination.
Julie gets two for supposedly being the most trustworthy – she’s taken one for herself but who will get the other? Joe Lycett! It seems the alliances are already forming.
20:11 , Annabel Nugent Claudia is certainly wasting no time stirring the pot as she asks the stars to decide who among them is the trustworthy.
Julie throws Sharon’s name into the mix, which in turn throws the attention back on her with Julie rapidly emerging as the winner of the vote – could that have been her game all along? Maybe it’s early proof that her “goodie” theory is right...
20:09 , Annabel NugentComedian Joanne McNally’s strategy going into the castle? “Performative stupidity!” Sidenote: does anyone know where I can get her pink cow-print matching set? Yee-haw!
20:08 , Annabel NugentOf course, it wouldn’t be a reality show without at least one “content creator” in the mix. Fulfilling that role this year is King Kenny, whose entertainment vlogs and prank videos have earned him more than 2 million subscribers on YouTube. How he’ll fare offline remains to be seen…
20:07 , Annabel Nugent Representing journalists everywhere is Amol Rajan who is followed quickly by none other than Miranda Hart who professes to having no game plan whatsoever – though that could well be her game plan, couldn’t it? Can’t trust anyone!
20:07 , Annabel NugentAnother perhaps less familiar face in this increasingly crowded chapel is Professor Hannah Fry who has described herself as “toxically competitive”. She’s hoping her statistical expertise will give her an edge in the competition… Well, it certainly can’t hurt.
Julie wasn’t lying when she said she’d be starstruck by her fellow contestants. Myha’la has barely taken her seat before Julie makes a bee-line for the actor – same too for Richard E Grant who is wasting no time in declaring his wish to be a traitor.
20:06 , Annabel Nugent And in quick succession: tough guys Ross Kemp, model Jerry Hall, Last of Us actor Bella Ramsay, singer-songwriter James Blunt, and Industry star Myha’la Herrold are the next to make an appearance.
20:05 , Annabel NugentJulie Hesmondhalgh is definitely one of those actors you may not know by name but you will by face. Coronation Street, Happy Valley, Broadchurch, Doctor Who, Mr Bates vs the Post Office… ring any bells? She’s small screen royalty.
20:04 , Annabel Nugent In case you forgot, here is a reminder of Ross’s show-stealing looks from last season…
20:04 , Annabel NugentNext up is Love Island host Maya Jama and her massive trench coat. If this look is anything to go by, Maya has a closet back at the castle to rival that of Jonathan Ross last year!
20:03 , Annabel Nugent First to enter the chapel is Welshman and self-confessed Traitors mega-fan Michael Sheen who is already making excuses for himself by claiming that actors are at a disadvantage because everyone thinks they just lie for a living… I mean, he’s not exactly wrong!
20:03 , Annabel Nugent Claudia Winkleman looking as chic as ever in red fingerless gloves and, of course, a black coat...
20:01 , Annabel Nugent Here we go!
The full moon, the spookily lit castle, the owl… there’s something instantly rousing about seeing those familiar Traitors sights back on screen. Are you ready for Celeb Traitors 2027?
19:57 , Annabel NugentIt is exactly 7.57pm, which leaves exactly enough time to listen to James Blunt’s 2004 smash-hit song “You’re Beautiful” once in full before Celeb Traitors begins... something to set the mood?
Blunt is one of the 21 stars entering the castle tonight. I wonder if we’ll be treated to a song or two.
19:50 , Annabel NugentWe’re officially 10 minutes out. If you need a last-minute refresher on who’s who going into tonight’s episode, look no further...
Meet the full lineup of stars competing on Celebrity Traitors 2026
19:41 , Annabel NugentDrag Race, Celeb Traitors, Big Brother – it’s the ultimate trifecta of reality TV.
Also, can we just all take a moment to remember this iconic Alan Carr moment from last season?
19:30 , Annabel NugentDrag Race at 7. Celebrity Traitors at 8. Big Brother at 9. Happy October. pic.twitter.com/P58kH8V7Wm
— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) October 1, 2026
Think you’d make a good Traitor? We asked a psychologist what the most important character trait is for anyone hoping to win this devilish game...
This one personality trait is shared by all the winners of The Traitors
19:00 , Annabel NugentAlthough us viewers at home are yet to see even the first episode of this season, the reality is that Celeb Traitors has already named its winner with filming concluding all the way back in June.
Ed Gamble, host of Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, is one of the very few people on the planet to know the outcome. Keeping that secret has got to be tough...
18:30 , Annabel NugentT-minus 90 minutes to go until the first episode of Celebrity Traitors begins... keep up to date with all the action right here!
18:23 , Annabel NugentHappy Celebrity Traitors day to those who celebrate! 🙌 #TheCelebrityTraitors #TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/JQYZchGTKr
— The Traitors HQ (@the_traitors_) October 1, 2026
Did you see that Andrew Garfield crashed a Celeb Traitors reunion earlier today? And not only that – he also said appearing on the show is a “true dream” of his.
BBC, are you listening? I think we’ve got your next recruit sorted.
17:30 , Annabel Nugent@thisisheart Who wants to see Andrew Garfield on the next series of Celebrity Traitors? 👀 It was a Traitors reunion this morning on Heart Breakfast as Celia Imrie, Nick Mohammed and Jonathan Ross were in the studio, alongside surprise guest Andrew Garfield 🤩 #traitors #thetraitors #thetraitorsuk #andrewgarfieldedit #andrewgarfieldspiderman
♬ original sound - Heart
More Traitors means more fabulous knitwear, courtesy of who else but Claudia Winkleman – some sartorial inspiration just in time for autumn.
Check out the best of her show-stopping looks below...
A look back at Claudia Winkleman’s best outfits on The Traitors
17:00 , Annabel NugentTonight may be the first episode of the series, but that doesn’t mean betrayal isn’t already afoot. Do you remember how little time it took for Alan Carr to turn on his best pal Paloma Faith?
Even the strongest friendships will be tested... I’m looking at you Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan.
16:30 , Annabel Nugent 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
15:30 , Annabel NugentSome 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...
15:02 , Annabel NugentDid you see that Andrew Garfield crashed a Celeb Traitors reunion earlier today? Not only that, he also said it is a “true dream” of his to appear on the show.
BBC, are you listening?
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.
