The “Big Dog” theory backfired during Thursday night’s episode of The Celebrity Traitors, with the Faithfuls incorrectly voting for Sir Stephen Fry (not Traitor Jonathan Ross).
Stephen was the fifth Faithful to be banished from this year’s series, while Jonathan managed to evade elimination despite arousing suspicion among his fellow contestants.
The episode began with Mark Bonnar and David Olusoga going head-to-head, with David receiving a shield and Mark facing banishment. Swiftly, Joe Wilkinson became the latest player to be “murdered” by the Traitors, after not turning up to breakfast.
During the challenge, which saw the players try to outwit the Traitors on a giant chessboard, the winning team – Alan, Cat, Celia and Joe M – were all protected from the Traitors’ next “murder”. This put Nick, Lucy, Kate, Stephen and Jonathan all at risk. Nick made players suspicious of him after admitting he purposefully sabotaged the game.
During the roundtable discussion, Alan (Traitor) made a huge blunder when he forgot he had won a shield during that challenge, causing other players to have doubts about him for the first time.
Meanwhile, Stephen came up with a new theory – and accused Cat (Traitor) after he saw her sleeping by a window earlier in the day. He said that “Traitors get less sleep”. Cat replied that, because she’s neurodivergent, being around people all the time can be exhausting – hence why she was getting some rest.
A heated roundtable saw votes cast for David, Jonathan, Nick and Joe. But – thanks to the “Big Dog” theory – it was Stephen who received the most votes and was banished.
The episode ended on a cliffhanger with host Claudia Winkleman announcing that Kate, Nick and Lucy are all at risk of “murder” by the Traitors – and this time it will be face-to-face. The lesson: trust nobody.
The Celebrity Traitors returns on Wednesday.
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KEY POINTS
- Watch: Alan Carr makes a blunder and almost blows his cover
- All of the stars to have been banished or murdered
- How much are the celebrities being paid?
- Stephen Fry's reaction to finding out that Jonathan Ross is a Traitor
- Jonathan Ross says he 'didn't enjoy' his time in the castle
POV: You're an unlucky Faithful on Wednesday
23:55
,
Ellie Muir
Imagine this being the last thing you see before you’re murdered#CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/FlowU9lXJO
— gemma (@gmmlsknny) October 23, 2025
Alan has somehow become a brilliant Traitor
23:15
,
Ellie Muir
This is the same man who was sweaty, stressed and anxious when he was first made a Traitor. Look at him now!
Claudia: “Faithful’s ask yourself this… who’s laughing to your face and stabbing you in the back?”
— ✧ ✧ (@alexanderls3) October 23, 2025
Alan: #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/wKyk5iXpU9
Stephen Fry has brilliant reaction to finding out who the Traitors are...
22:53
,
Ellie Muir
Appearing on Uncloaked, Stephen – after learning that Jonathan, Alan and Cat are all Traitors – referenced the Big Dog theory. “So it’s two big dogs and one small cat,” he said.
A recap of tonight's episode...
22:45
,
Ellie Muir
Mark and Stephen were banished; Joe W was “murdered” by the Traitors.
Either Kate, Nick or Lucy will be the Traitors’ next victim, and whoever is chosen will get a face-to-face sighting of the actual Traitors (in next week’s episode).
Watch: Alan Carr makes a blunder and almost blows his cover
22:31
,
Ellie Muir
Stephen says Jonathan played a 'blinder'
22:13
,
Ellie Muir
“F-F-S,” said Stephen as he found out that Jonathan was a Traitor during The Traitors: Uncloaked.
“He’s playing a blinder,” Stephen added.
The Traitors appear in their cloaks...
22:06
,
Ellie Muir
A cloaked trio (Cat, Jonathan and Alan) arrive beside the chessboard.
Nick gasps as he turns around. Kate turns. Lucy turns. And then a cliffhanger.
Will they see the actual Traitors? And who have they decided to “murder”? I’ve never seen anything like this in Traitors history.
Plot twist: One of the shortlisted players will be 'murdered' face-to-face!
22:04
,
Ellie Muir
Kate, Nick, Lucy have to return to the chess board, where one of them will be “murdered” face-to-face.
This is absolutely gutting
21:59
,
Ellie Muir
Jonathan must be feeling very smug right about now.
Nick realises he went for the wrong Big Dog. Now Kate’s accusing Nick of being a Traitor...
Stephen is banished!
21:55
,
Ellie Muir
Noooooooooooooo. I have no words.
The final votes...
21:54
,
Ellie Muir
David believes Stephen is a Traitor.
Nick, the final vote, votes for Stephen.
The votes are happening...
21:54
,
Ellie Muir
Alan votes for Joe.
Kate votes for Nick (after he confessed to sabotaging the challenge).
Joe votes for “Big Dog” Jonathan (”I don’t like you,” replies Jonathan).
Lucy votes for Jonathan.
Kate votes for Stephen.
Stephen votes for David. “I have nothing better to offer I’m afraid”.
Celia votes for Joe because she doesn’t know “what’s going on in his head”.
Jonathan votes for Stephen. Big Dog vs Big Dog.
A vote count....
Nick reveals that he purposefully tried to lose today's game
21:51
,
Ellie Muir
Nick tells the table that he made sure that his team lost because he believes there’s definite Traitors in his team. The group aren’t convinced.
Alan nearly blows his cover!
21:50
,
Ellie Muir
He forgets he has a shield and almost messes up. Ooooops. He played it off very well.
Joe absolutely goes for Jonathan...
21:49
,
Ellie Muir
“Someone as intelligent as you, would use Ruth as a double bluff,” he says. Yep, Joe isn’t letting this one go.
Stephen comes up with a new theory and accuses Cat of being a Traitor
21:46
,
Ellie Muir
Stephen says that he saw Cat sleeping by a window earlier in the day, and that “Traitors get less sleep” than the rest of them. Gasp!
Cat has a very good reply, and says that because she’s neurodivergent, being around people all the time can be exhausting.
We're back at the roundtable
21:44
,
Ellie Muir
Jonathan quickly throws the spotlight on David, who spent all of the last roundtable defending himself. We’re going around in circles!
The Big Dog theory is getting old now
21:41
,
Ellie Muir
Please, Faithfuls, just vote for Jonathan! I feel like I’m screaming into a void.
Kate is finally trying to come up with some suggestions for tonight's roundtable...
21:40
,
Ellie Muir
Half of the group collectively have a shield – the other half are at risk
21:39
,
Ellie Muir
Alan, Cat, Celia and Joe are all protected from tonight’s murder after that game.
Nick, Lucy, Kate, Stephen and Jonathan are all at risk.
Ironically, it was the winning team that had the most Traitors in. Poor Faithfuls.
Sneaky scheming during the game between Nick and Joe!
21:36
,
Ellie Muir
They decide that Nick’s team must lose because it’s (theoretically) got the most Traitors in. Nick says he will try to lose and make Joe’s team win. Yes, this is quite confusing.
The plan works and Nick’s team loses.
This is such a catty challenge!
21:33
,
Ellie Muir
Basically, the players have to think like the Traitors. Then a mahoosive (and sinister) Traitor figure on a chess board will reveal the decisions made by the actual Traitors last night.
They’ve got to guess who the Traitors think is “the most two-faced” player. Celia nominates herself!
Kate is such a good sport
21:30
,
Ellie Muir
Everyone agrees that she’s the weakest player. Jonathan jokes that she’s weak “intellectually”. Ouch.
It's game time – and it's tense
21:29
,
Ellie Muir
Here’s the rule you need to know: players in only the losing team will be up for tonight’s murder. Yikes!
Lots of faffing about how they should split up into teams. They decided to put the suspected Traitors together, so Jonathan with Stephen and Lucy. It’s very heated.
Claudia says, “enormous luck!” – and it’s now game time.
Lots of whispering in the corridors
21:24
,
Ellie Muir
Jonathan and Lucy chatter about David and Celia being possible Traitors.
Sigh. Don’t be fooled, Lucy!
Joe Wilkinson is the Traitors latest victim
21:19
,
Ellie Muir
Joe W didn’t show up to breakfast, which means he has been “murdered” by order of the Traitors. “I sort of expected it because I was a bit lippy last night,” he tells the camera.
Celia is onto Alan
21:17
,
Ellie Muir
But will she bring it up at the roundtable, though?
Cat throws Jonathan under the bus at breakfast
21:15
,
Ellie Muir
Cat and a group of Faithfuls are discussing their Traitor guesses, when she says: “What about Jonathan?”....
She’s going to turn on her fellow Traitor!
The Traitors are scheming again
21:13
,
Ellie Muir
Jonathan, Cat and Alan meet in the turret to decide who’s next on their list.
Cat says that Joe W needs to go. Jonathan suggests Kate. They also discuss the pros and cons of “murdering” The Stephen Fry (please no!)
Goodbye to a very defeated Mark
21:08
,
Ellie Muir
Clauds gives the Faithfuls a big telling off after Mark declared his Faithful status.
Alan (Traitor) gives an Oscar-winning performance (again) as a Faithful as he apologises for pushing the Mark agenda.
Will they move on from the David theory, or is he up for another banishment?
David gets a shield!
21:06
,
Ellie Muir
That means David is protected from the banishment and Mark is out! The Faithfuls are about to get another wake-up call.
The "chests of chance"
21:05
,
Ellie Muir
Mark and David have to pick separate wooden boxes. Whoever gets a shield will be protected from tonight’s banishing...
Aaaand we're back!
21:04
,
Ellie Muir
Straight back to the roundtable, where the unprecedented events of last night’s tie are about to be decided by the “chests of chance” (AKA two wooden boxes being held by Clauds).
15 minutes to go...
20:45
,
Ellie Muir
Hasn’t this been the longest 24 hours, ever?
The Celebrity Traitors returns on BBC One at 9pm.
Jonathan Ross says Traitors experience was 'uncomfortable'
20:14
,
Ellie Muir
He might be doing well (ish) as a Traitor, but Jonathan has said he was extremely uncomfortable during his time in the castle.
Ross made the admission on his Reel Talk podcast, adding that he found the “constant lying really wearing” and “increasingly uncomfortable”.
Find more here:
How much are the celebrities earning?
20:11
,
Ellie Muir
According to reports, the celebrities will be paid a flat fee of £40,000 for appearing in the series.
Find out more below:
A psychology expert reveals how celebrity status changes The Traitors
20:02
,
Ellie Muir
Get clued up on the (remaining) cast members
18:52
,
Ellie Muir
The Faithfuls are dropping like flies. Find out who is still in the competition ahead of tonight’s episode, below:
Tonight, David and Mark's fate will be decided 'by chance'
17:30
,
Ellie Muir
But with so many unexpected twists in this year’s series. Will it really be that simple?
My theory: both of them will be banished at the same time. And it’ll be a huge blow to the Faithfuls.
Tom Daley says the Celebrity Traitors WhatsApp group 'pops off'
17:00
,
Ellie Muir
Speaking on The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, Tom Daley gave an insight into the cast’s WhatsApp group.
“I wake to about 30 messages and I can’t keep up. It’s like the school WhatsApp groups for the parents. I can’t keep up!” he said.
He added that Temeka is the “voice note queen” who often sends audio messages that are longer than two minutes.
“It’s sweet. Everyone is really excited and watching it back together. We’ve all been on this journey together,” he said.
Celebrity Traitors: What time is it on and how can I stream it online?
16:30
,
Ellie Muir
Get yourself prepped ahead of tonight’s episode. It’s going to be a biggie.
Taken by Claudia Winkleman's outfits? We've got you covered
15:41
,
Ellie Muir
Our senior shopping writer has tracked down some of Claudia’s best fits from The Traitors. Thank us later!
Celebrity Traitors fans celebrate ‘best episode ever’ after huge twist
09:27
,
Roisin O'Connor
Mark has got the people worried!
07:00
,
Annabel Nugent
I love that this applicable to every time Mark Bonnar is on screen https://t.co/K1R2YpMz2y
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) October 22, 2025
06:00
,
Annabel Nugent
It’s never not a good time to watch Celia Imrie’s impersonation of a banshee.
05:00
,
Annabel Nugent
Lucy’s expression says it all...
Will anyone pay attention to Stephen's last theory?
22:57
,
Ellie Muir
Being Stephen was banished, he accused Cat of being a Traitor because she was sleeping during the daytime. It’s a very clever theory – and he’s right. But will the Faithfuls take any notice?
01:00
,
Annabel Nugent
Can anyone else believe that Jonathan Ross has made it through to another round? I really thought he was going to meet his maker last night.
Thursday 23 October 2025 00:00
,
Annabel Nugent
If you missed it the first time around, here’s another look at Alan Carr caught in a net.
ICYMI
Wednesday 22 October 2025 23:00
,
Annabel Nugent
Tomorrow’s episode will see the banishment of either David or Mark. Who will go is up to lady fortune...
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:18
,
Annabel Nugent
Tom Daley has plans to knit a “flabbergasted” jumper after his “side-eyed monster” reaction to Kate’s use of the word at Paloma’s funeral.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:12
,
Annabel Nugent
Inspired by Celia Imrie’s famous fart, Charlotte Church says: “I love farting. We should all be doing more fluffing.”
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:11
,
Annabel Nugent
Charlotte on learning Cat is a Traitor: “She’s playing an exquisite game!” Couldn’t have said it better myself, really.
And on Alan? “Sneaky Alan!”
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:08
,
Annabel Nugent
Charlotte’s guesses? Mark, Jonathan, and Celia.
That’s one out of three, I suppose.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:06
,
Annabel Nugent
Newly murdered Charlotte Church is also on Uncloaked, looking very Traitors-esque in a shiny cloak herself.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:04
,
Annabel Nugent
If you haven’t had your Traitors fill, head on over to BBC Two where the after show Uncloaked is on.
With no banished contestant from tonight’s episode, we’ve got series three Faithful Alexander and series three winner Leanne giving their insider opinion.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:02
,
Annabel Nugent
Tonight’s outcome is far from ideal... unfortunate for Mark, unfortunate for David, and unfortunate for the rest of the Faithfuls who will soon have eliminated yet another of their own...
Wednesday 22 October 2025 22:00
,
Annabel Nugent
So it’s down to chance whether we’ll be seeing Mark or David banished next episode – but what does that mean exactly? Flip of a coin? Short straw? Who knows?
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:59
,
Annabel Nugent
With Celia’s vote for David, that’s a draw! And of course... we have to wait until tomorrow’s episode.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:58
,
Annabel Nugent
Oh Celia, the power you possess!
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:57
,
Annabel Nugent
Five for Mark, four for David... it comes down to Celia!
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:56
,
Annabel Nugent
Poor Mark really does look totally despondent at this situation... all that just for being a passionate person!
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:55
,
Annabel Nugent
Reminder... if this comes to another draw, it’s up to chance which of the Faithfuls get banished tonight.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:55
,
Annabel Nugent
Is anyone else’s heart beating faster? Also, can you believe that Jonathan has gotten away with it... again?
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:54
,
Annabel Nugent
Mark vs David! Let’s hear these final pleas...
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:53
,
Annabel Nugent
It’s all up to Cat!
Wednesday 22 October 2025 21:52
,
Annabel Nugent
Kate: Mark
Joe M: M
