We were told the Celebrity Traitors semi-final would feature “a sensational turn of events” and Thursday (29 October) night’s episode certainly delivered.
While it seemed Richard E Grant’s slip-up would surely go down as the most obvious reveal in Traitors history, James Acaster eclipsed his co-star by confessing his murderous ways at the roundtable.
The comedian, who never wanted to be a Traitor, finally found his name being mentioned. And rather than crafting an elaborate defence, Acaster decided to simply come clean and tell his fellow players to vote him out.
The big question is, what will the decision mean for his fellow Traitors? Maya Jama is a prime suspect right now – and almost gave her own game away with a huge mistake at breakfast.
Can the Love Island host and Kenny keep their cool and encourage the remaining Faithfuls to turn on each other? With the grand final now upon us, it’s all to play for...
Celebrity Traitors airs at 8pm on BBC One. Follow all the latest updates below.
Key points
- Maya Jama makes huge slip-up
- Traitor delivers bombshell speech at roundtable
- Banished star speechless as they discover Traitors' identities
- 'We've got a proper final on our hands,' says star after shock exit
With her banishment now revealed, our clueless queen Joanne has made light of the situation on Instagram.
Recap: Joanne and Sharon's exit
02:00 , Rachel McGrathPoor Sharon, eh? She survived the roundtable... only to be murdered a few hours later anyway.
See her and Joanne’s exits again below...
What does James's confession mean for Maya and Kenny?
00:01 , Rachel McGrathIt will be really interesting to see what these two do next.
On Uncloaked, previous winner Leanne pointed out that Maya might as well murder Michael, as he’s coming to come out all guns blazing if she doesn’t. I fear that whatever she does, the writing is on the wall for the Love Island host.
Kenny though... there’s way less suspicion. I hate to say it but Maya going could be the best thing to happen to him. He’d then be able to play the “she kept me in” card...
21:34 , Rachel McGrathAnd that’s a wrap on tonight’s Celebrity Traitors action. I think I need a lay-down.
If, like me, you want to watch James Acaster’s bombshell speech on repeat, then here you go...
Celebrity Traitors’ James Acaster makes unprecedented move at roundtable
21:28 , Rachel McGrathJames A doesn’t think the Traitors can win!
Asked by Ed for his prediction, he names Romesh, Bash and James Blunt as most likely to take home the prizepot.
21:26 , Rachel McGrathAnd here’s James’s post-banishment chat.
“Now we’ve got a proper final on our hands,” he says. “With three Traitors, it would have been a foregone conclusion that we were gonna win.
“I went into that roundtable thinking I had no heat on me. It was a surprise. But I was glad they caught me.”
Joanne finds out who the Traitors were
21:23 , Rachel McGrathThey’re now playing the moment when Joanne McNally found out who the Traitors were.
Here are her reactions to each…
Kenny
[screams a lot] “Nooooo! Oh my god, they gave him the dagger as the most honest… I actually… Oh my god. Wow. That is genuinely terrifying.”
James A
[screams and jumps out of her chair] [balls the paper up] “That p***k! No wonder he was trying to get rid of me.”
Maya
[completely loses her mind] [walks off set]
“Oh my god. I am… deceased. I… Honest to God… I actually… I actually cannot believe that. Maya? We were building a life together.”
21:17 , Rachel McGrathOoo, Sharon has revealed that she did have big suspicions in the castle, even though some of the scenes didn’t make the cut.
“I did say to Kenny, ‘are you tired, murdering?’,” she says.
Uncloaked panel reacts to James's revelation
21:11 , Rachel McGrath“I’m shocked by all elements of that [episode],” says Nick Mohammed, who is in the studio.
You and me both, Nick.
“[I’m] so moved by James’s banishment in a way,” he adds.
Civilian series icon Fiona says: “My belly was fliflopping like mad. But I do think that James was very authentic.”
21:08 , Rachel McGrathWell... what an episode.
Stick with us because I’ll be bringing you all the biggest updates from Uncloaked, where Ed Gamble will be chatting to Sharon and Joanne.
21:05 , Rachel McGrathWhat a poetic shot of Jama and Sheen at the end. Man, I love this show.
20:59 , Rachel McGrath I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from this? And I’m glad to see many people are feeling the same...
“i was made a traitor” THE MOST GAGGIEST LINE OF THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE #celebritytraitors pic.twitter.com/Wk6jorS6F6
— tiff ☀️ (@womenstitless) October 29, 2026
OMG JAMES ACTUALLY ADMITTED TO BEING A TRAITOR WHAT THE HELL #TheTraitors #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/33Rwelx1JE
— Toby Tottenham Mad (@tottenhammad123) October 29, 2026
im actually flabbergasted what the hell #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/naoJqUmyuN
— f. (@dulapeep0) October 29, 2026
20:55 , Rachel McGrathJAMES ACASTER WOWIE #CelebrityTraitors
— Adam (@Locaeted) October 29, 2026
What on earth!!! That is truly unprecedented... And they are obviously now voting him off.
Wow, wow, wow. What will this mean for Kenny and Maya?
Oh my god, James A has outed himself as a Traitor! Before being banished!
They weren’t lying - that really is a bombshell twist! Yes, these are a lot of exclamation marks!!
20:49 , Rachel McGrathOh god, now Michael has turned on Maya and James too - are the Faithfuls going to get a Traitor?! And if they do... which one will it be?
20:47 , Rachel McGrathJames B is bang on the money now too! He’s named James A and Maya as people to look at.
This is getting tense!
20:46 , Rachel McGrathAfter Maya’s slip-up, Kenny just worded a comment in a really strange way.
“As a Traitor myself...” is a very odd choice of words at the roundtable.
Is the pressure getting to them?!
20:43 , Rachel McGrathmichael clocking all three of them... why didn't they kill him #celebritytraitors
— ariana 𓂃🐧ྀིྀི (@opaIiteskies) October 29, 2026
They’ll be kicking themselves, surely!
20:40 , Rachel McGrathIn the words of Joanne McNally, I think this roundtable will be spicy.
20:37 , Rachel McGrathBash and Romesh are onto Maya - but going for Michael first! Oh, this will be interesting...
20:34 , Rachel McGrathI think this might be my favourite challenge yet.
20:32 , Rachel McGrathObsessed with James Blunt suddenly turning Scottish #TheCelebrityTraitors #CelebrityTraitors #TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/1amhsC1n0V
— tasha louise 💗 (@eds_afterglow) October 29, 2026
The way these heads are being displayed in the cylinders... not exactly flattering.
20:29 , Rachel McGrath I never needed to hear James Blunt making those noises. Ever.
20:26 , Rachel McGrathIt’s challenge time - and James B has a normal outfit on? Maybe this is the bombshell.
20:23 , Rachel McGrath They’ve gone back to the murder in plain sight!
If the Faithful chip away at this, they could finally get another Traitor...
20:21 , Rachel McGrathAt long last, the Traitors’ names are starting to be mentioned.
Even though she seemed to get away with that slip-up just now, Maya’s name is being mentioned, as is James A’s.
20:20 , Rachel McGrathErm... Maya!
She’s just said “to killing ‘em” during a group cheers... instead of “banishing”. It’s a huge slip-up - that seems to have gone unnoticed? How?!
20:17 , Rachel McGrath This is either genius or a huge mistake, right? I guess we’ll find out in the next 40 minutes...
20:16 , Rachel McGrathThey’ve done it - they’ve murdered Sharon! Even with all of the heat on her!
Oh, that is an interesting gameplay...
20:16 , Rachel McGrathWe’ve said goodbye to one of our most memeable players.
I miss Joanne already.
20:12 , Rachel McGrathMe during my 5th breakdown of the week #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/jTCanwJKeO
— Alex (@alexr_241) October 29, 2026
A quick look at X reveals everyone is on the same page on who should be murdered... apart from the Traitors maybe. Eeek!
20:10 , Rachel McGrath And there’s no time to waste as it’s murder o’clock! They’re seriously weighing up whether to go for Sharon, which really would throw the Faithful off...
20:09 , Rachel McGrathVery interesting for Kenny to change his vote! Historically, doing so never goes down well.
Has he made a huge mistake?!
20:04 , Rachel McGrathStraight in with the big reveal... It’s Joanne who has been banished!
“I wish I didn’t take this dagger, there’s so much pressure,” Kenny said. “I’m going to vote for... Joanne.”
She looks gutted!
20:01 , Rachel McGrath Here we go! I’ve mentioned it about 400 times but I am so excited for this...
Half an hour to go!
19:30 , Rachel McGrathIt’s nearly time! And what will the big twist be?
Given how well the Traitors have been doing, the obvious guess is that the trio will hit a huge stumbling block.
Speaking after her exit, Traitor Hannah Fry revealed how Maya and James have accidentally given themselves away. Will some of the Faithful realise?
Here’s what she had to say...
Who could be murdered next?
19:00 , Rachel McGrathAfter the banishment, it should be time for the Traitors to carry out another murder.
But who will they go for? The decision could be crucial. Here are my thoughts...
Joanne/Sharon
Murdering whoever survives the banishment feels like a silly move, as the remaining celebrity will be a prime suspect.
Michael
I don’t think they’ll go for Michael. Plenty of the remaining Faithfuls have started to question how the actor has survived this long - and the only logical conclusion, for them, will surely be that he’s a Traitor.
Bash
I reckon the lovely Sebastian could be at risk of being murdered. Nobody suspects him, so he won’t be getting banished.
Leigh-Anne
Leigh-Anne is another of the Faithfuls who has faced a lot of heat. If I was a Traitor, I’d keep her around.
Romesh
It pains me to say it... but maybe murdering Romesh would be a good move (sorry!). I love him in the castle but he’s very persuasive and speaks so well. While he’s not onto the Traitors right now, if he does develop a correct theory, he’ll have no problem convincing people.
James Blunt
James B is wrong at every turn, isn’t he? What he lacks in detective skills, he makes up for in entertainment value. Would he be good to murder? I’m torn.
18:30 , Rachel McGrathShall we have a little look back at one of the biggest moments of last week?
The Traitors’ decision to murder Miranda certainly threw off the Faithfuls...
18:00 , Rachel McGrathThis series has been full of twists. And one that nobody saw coming (well, very few) was James A’s ascent to accidental sex symbol status.
The comedian has now shared what he thinks about it all...
Celebrity Traitors star reacts to being branded an 'accidental sex symbol'
17:30 , Rachel McGrathTwo Traitors won the British version of the show for the first time back in January.
Their mastermind, Rachel Duffy, has shared her predictions for the current series with us...
The Traitors winner Rachel Duffy makes dramatic celebrity final prediction
The data behind the elephant in the roundtable room
17:00 , Rachel McGrathLet’s be honest, it’s looking a bit blokey at the roundtable.
My colleague Lauren Morris has delved into the numbers, and it’s not just that more women have been banished - they’ve received more overall votes too.
Here are the stats...
The data behind Celebrity Traitors’ elephant in the room
Bookies' odds ahead of the final
16:30 , Rachel McGrathWith less than 48 hours to go until the grand final, the bookies have given their verdict on who is most likely to win — and it’s looking good for King Kenny.
The Traitors’ recent recruit is currently being touted as favourite to take the prize pot by Oddschecker, with odds of 7/4. Maya is close behind on 11/4 with their fellow turret dweller James A on 9/2.
Of the Faithfuls, Michael Sheen is ranked as the most likely to win at 14/1, with James B, Leigh-Anne, Romesh and Bash all on 16/1.
Given the banishment cliffhanger, Joanne and Sharon are on 20/1.
This could, of course, all change tonight…
Everyone who has been murdered and banished so far
16:00 , Rachel McGrathWhen the opening credits rolled on episode one, there were 22 players in the game - and we’re now down to just 10.
And it’s fair to say some of the exits have been more memorable than others (Richard E Grant, I’m looking at you).
Here’s a full recap of everyone who has been banished and murdered...
The full lineup of stars competing on Celebrity Traitors 2026
Joanne McNally defended over 'mean girl' accusations
15:30 , Rachel McGrathThe comedian’s abrupt nature at the roundtable has raised eyebrows with some, especially after her clash with Miranda.
But one of Joanne’s co-stars has now spoken out in her defence.
Here’s what they had to say...
Celebrity Traitors star defends Joanne McNally over ‘mean girl’ accusations
Recap: How the last episode ended
15:00 , Rachel McGrathThe Traitors producers sure do love a cliffhanger, eh? And last Friday’s episode ended with one of the most dramatic yet.
The players at the roundtable were seen voting for the second time in one night after Joanne McNally and Sharon Rooney received the same number of votes.
The episode ended just before King Kenny’s deciding vote was revealed.
Whichever way it goes, we know the Faithfuls are losing another of their own...
The Celebrity Traitors power ranking
14:30 , Rachel McGrathWith just 10 players left - and two episodes to go! - our deputy culture editor Ellie Harrison has examined who has the most power in the Traitors castle...
The Celebrity Traitors power ranking: Who is the top dog as the final looms?
14:05 , Rachel McGrathHello and welcome to our Celebrity Traitors liveblog.
The countdown is on ahead of tonight’s episode, which is the penultimate one of the series. And according to reports, it could be the juiciest instalment so far.
Ahead of tonight’s show, I’ll be recapping where we left things off and bringing you all the latest updates, as well as extra goss you might have missed.
21:39 , Rachel McGrathIt’s going to take a long time for anyone to get over James A’s big moment, isn’t it? And I’m including myself in that.
This is the first in traitors history!!!!! James Acaster has just given it to them and said I’m a traitor at the round table. I’m speechless. #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/nF2iyw6aFw
— Emily O'Neill (@emilyroseon) October 29, 2026
forget the round table i wanna see how the producers and claudia actually reacted to james admitting to being a traitor #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/jqjlV1SZxT
— ⋆ rachel ⋆ (@racheIaIi) October 29, 2026
Maya and Kenny hearing James A reveal he’s a traitor #CelebrityTraitors pic.twitter.com/flwUaRZDpV
— Mel (@fadeeeintoyou) October 29, 2026
No way James Acaster revealing himself as a Traitor #celebritytraitors pic.twitter.com/T3U8oAYcly
— Kayleigh Natasha (@KayleighAnslow) October 29, 2026
