There’s a 47-year age gap between the youngest and oldest on this year’s series of The Celebrity Traitors, but contestants on each side of the spectrum are having equally as hard a time as the other – and an expert has revealed that there’s a reason for that.
It could be argued that being the youngest or eldest of the crop might work in one’s favour, but so far, it’s just getting them in trouble. Richard E Grant, 69, shot himself in the foot by letting his excitement get the better of him after declaring himself a Traitor to the group moments after Claudia Winkleman made him one. He swiftly got banished.
Then, the group successfully set its banishment sights on 30-year-old Industry star Myha’la, who sat on the younger side of the crop, while many others were casting doubt upon this year’s oldest celeb, former model Jerry Hall, 70, who is proving to be equally as chaotic as Grant; she made a wholly innocent outburst at the breakfast table, which in turn confused everyone and has many convinced she’s a Traitor.
And by the end of the episode, the babies of the group – Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, 23, and actor-singer Sebastian Croft, 24, who have formed a strong alliance – were selected by the Traitors as contenders for the next murder.
Meanwhile, the stars in the middle appear to be sailing through – including Professor Hannah Fry, 42, who had the odds stacked against her after surviving murder by being recruited by the Traitors. According to psychologist Dennis Relojo-Howell, managing director of Psychreg, the contestants’ ages could be considered a stereotype influencing people’s viewpoints – without noticing that’s what they’re doing.
“I think when people are trying to work out who they can trust, they often rely on stereotypes without necessarily being aware of it or realising it,” Relojo-Howell told The Independent. “Younger contestants might be perceived as less experienced or more impulsive, whereas older contestants may have some sort of disadvantage, because they don't necessarily attract those same assumptions.”
However, the older stars could be “seen as more socially experienced, more reliable, perhaps even more trustworthy” – which could help or hinder their game, depending on whether you’re a Faithful or a Traitor.
Addressing Ramsey and Croft’s strong bond, Relojo-Howell said: “Younger contestants might naturally gravitate towards people of a similar age because there's a sense of familiarity with being the younger ones. And we know how comfortable familiarity and shared experiences are in psychology; we tend to feel more comfortable with people who are similar to our styles.”
This could also help explain why the rest of the contestants are, so far, escaping undetected or having red flags ignored. But as the show goes on, and a “very visible group is formed”, other contestants might “start seeing [it] as a kind of alliance, even if you're just getting along socially”.
Relojo-Howell isn’t certain that age is the determining factor influencing who hangs out with one another as “personality and social influence can play a big part, but added that “age can influence how confidence is framed or interpreted”.
“Someone who speaks very confidently can be quite persuasive, even though, when they're completely wrong. All the older contestants who are calm might be seen as wise or experienced, while someone who's younger and expressing exactly the same kind of opinion might be seen as overconfident.”
The Celebrity Traitors airs weekly on BBC One on Thursdays and Fridays.
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