The Celebrity Traitors is now in its third week and while one of our murderous trio in the Turret is thriving, plenty of others in the castle aren’t faring so well.
This year’s star-studded series has delivered plenty of unpredictable drama from the off, with Richard E Grant effectively signing his own death warrant and leaving Maya Jama to head up operations for the cloaked killers.
Through recruitments, James Acaster and Professor Hanah Fry have become the least willing Traitors in the show’s history – but luckily for them, the Faithful have so far failed to capitalise on their early banishment win.
So how is everyone performing? Here’s our ranking of each player, based mostly on their actual gameplay skills with a bonus point here and there for vibes…
Maya Jama – 9/10: The only person among this year’s current Traitors who actually wanted the job, Love Island host Jama is playing a blinder. She hasn’t come under suspicion once and seems to be building some all-important bonds with the Faithful. And she gets an extra point for having the most bonkers castle wardrobe of 2026.
Michael Sheen – 6/10: Perhaps aware he could quickly be labelled this year’s “Big Dog”, Michael has been slightly quieter than some of the castle’s other legitimately A-list stars. When he does speak though, he’s listened to, so I expect with numbers dwindling he’ll put his head above the parapet soon.
Joanne McNally – 2/10: The Irish comedian has conviction in spades… it’s just a shame she’s been totally wrong at every turn. From gunning for Leigh-Anne over lipgloss-gate to vehemently defending Richard E Grant, gameplay-wise, McNally has had a shocker of a series so far – making her a sure bet for the “gullible Faithful” spot in the final. What are the points for, you ask? Her one-liners and outfit choices.
James Acaster – 7/10: Has there ever been a more reluctant Traitor? I think not. But while he lacks a killer instinct, Acaster’s plan of refusing to believe he’s not a Faithful seems to be serving him well. Only Jerry Hall has clocked him so far… which is kind of fine, because nobody listens to her anyway.
Professor Hannah Fry – 4/10: It’s not so much a question of “will Hannah get banished?” and more “how long can she cling on for?”. While she deserves plaudits for seeing off Julie at the roundtable, the maths genius’s days in the castle are clearly numbered (pun intended). Since donning the green cloak, she’s gone from calm and collected to a fidgety, wide-eyed mess. Oh dear.
Ross Kemp – 8/10: Ross “Paranoia” Kemp is surely a candidate for the best booking of the series. When he’s not delivering TV gold with OTT reactions to completely innocuous interactions, he’s smashing it in the challenges and providing GIF-worthy roundtable cheers. The man’s a meme machine. I hope he survives the face-to-face murder for two reasons: 1. It’s far too early for him to go. 2. So the Traitors can actually murder him in plain sight later.
Miranda Hart – 7/10: Miss Marple is in the house! The actor and comedian’s bubbly persona has slipped somewhat – and wasn’t it such fun to see her furiously snap at “Blunty”? Vomiting during a challenge, not so much. Miranda is never afraid of throwing a theory out there and she looks set to lead the (next) charge against Hannah, possibly cementing her rep as one of the most trustworthy of the Faithful.
Joe Lycett – 7/10: It wasn’t exactly a Frost-Nixon for our times, but it was Lycett who sparked Grant’s early unravelling so he gets a hearty well done for that. In a castle packed to the rafters with comedians, he’s also shone through as one of the funniest and wittiest, proving to be truly hilarious on the missions and during pretty much every interaction.
Rob Beckett – 3/10: Rob’s detective skills are virtually nonexistent and he knows it. Thankfully, he’s found another way to survive: bring the vibes. It’s an approach I am 100 per cent here for, but it will be interesting to see how he fares when the heat turns up. Things are about to get serious for him too, as both Rob and Romesh are up for the face-to-face murder taking place in Thursday’s episode.
Romesh Ranganathan – 7/10: The brilliantly deadpan pessimist to Beckett’s cheeky chappie, Romesh lucked out when he was paired with hardman Ross Kemp in the grave-digging trial. Alongside his comedy partner, Romesh’s contributions have included one-liners and welcoming Jerry Hall to form an unlikely trio. But he’s got a significant edge over his pal (sorry, Rob) thanks to being impossible to read and seemingly much smarter (again, sorry Rob).
James Blunt – 7/10: Blunt’s army era has served him well in the castle and, having got into character with a Top Gun-inspired wardrobe, he’s earned an A* for taking the lead in every mission. His theories? They’ve been hit-and-miss. After correctly declaring Hannah as a great option for a recruitment, he led the charge on Julie and made an enemy of Miranda in the process (which I didn’t even know was possible). He gets a bonus point for agreeing to the (slightly harrowing) shower scene.
Jerry Hall – 3/10: Miranda summed it up when she lovingly but accurately described Hall as “living in Jerryland”, which is seemingly a world where Rob and Romesh are the court jesters. A great existence, if you ask me. She has somehow correctly identified James Acaster as a Traitor, but given that all of her other suggestions have been completely wrong, you can’t blame the cast for not listening.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock – 6/10: Leigh-Anne hasn’t played a bad game but she’s been unfortunate. The Little Mix singer survived lipgloss-gate and now faces another challenge. As the only one of the four celebs up for murder to have a shield, she’s guaranteed survival. But how will that look to the Faithfuls? I sense a revival of the make-up theory coming along.
Sebastian ‘Bash’ Croft – 4/10: Oh, lovely Bash. The musician and Bella Ramsey, his pal from the real world, made a great duo. But without the Last of Us star around, he’s disappeared a little. With the Traitors set on destroying his clique, Bash needs to find a new set of castle pals. And quick.
King Kenny – 6/10: Content creator Kenny’s best moment so far was when he was buried in a grave alongside the traitorous Richard E Grant. That aside, he’s faded into the background a little – a strategy that could serve him well.
Sharon Rooney – 5/10: Two Doors Down’s Sharon is another celebrity who could perhaps give a little more. She’s never really attracted any suspicion, so that’s good, but she was also led down the “let’s vote Julie out” path. I think she’s got more to give.
Read MoreMeet the full lineup of stars competing on Celebrity Traitors 2026
From leaks to rule-breaking: BBC struggles to keep lid on Celebrity Traitors cast
Why one item keeps being blurred out on The Celebrity Traitors
Myha’la responds to Celebrity Traitors racism claims
Fired but welcomed back three times: The great Shane Gillis and SNL love affair
Forget Maya Jama – this is the best player on Celebrity Traitors right now
