The Celebrity Traitors, a popular BBC game show returning for its second season, features celebrity participants competing by deceiving others while trying to avoid being identified as traitors. Among those selected are Jama and Grant, who both initially claim they will act ruthlessly but then backtrack on their statements. The competition takes place at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands with a top prize of £100,000 for charity. Other celebrities joining include James Blunt, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Ross Kemp, and several comedians.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Celebrity Traitors, a popular BBC show, is returning for its second series on Thursday, May 18th, at 20:00 BST. The new season features 21 celebrities, including actors like Michael Sheen and Julie Hesmondhalgh, comedians such as James Blunt and Rob Beckett, and content creators like King Kenny. Contestants will compete for a £100,000 cash prize to be donated to charity based on their performance in tasks designed to outwit each other.
In the first episode, the celebrities were divided into Traitors and Faithfuls, with Claudia Winkleman revealing only two traitors initially. This departure from tradition left viewers shocked, especially when veteran actor Richard E Grant declared himself a traitor just minutes after arriving at the castle, leaving many in disbelief about his honesty or bluffing skills.
Executive producer Sarah Fay emphasized that the show aims to evolve and push boundaries each year, incorporating fresh ideas while maintaining its core format. This season will air twice weekly on Thursdays and Fridays, with 10 episodes total, up from last year's nine. Additionally, BBC One, iPlayer, and Sounds will broadcast a spin-off series titled Uncloaked, hosted by comedian Ed Gamble. The first episode concluded on a cliffhanger, leaving fans eager to see who the traitors select as their first victims or allies in the upcoming episodes.
Written for “Celebrity Traitors Show Return” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 25 other(s) covering the same event.
The Celebrity Traitors chosen as hit BBC series returns to screens
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Traitors → choose → screens
The famous faces selected to try and deceive their fellow contestants on The Celebrity Traitors have been chosen.
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faces → select → Traitors
Speaking to host Claudia Winkleman before being chosen as a traitor, Jama said: “As a host I have a welcoming energy and hopefully people will trust me.”
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people → speak → me
However, Jama added she would “hopefully be an unassuming warm and misleading traitor”.
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she → add → ?
Meanwhile Grant said he was “utterly ruthless” and would feel “no guilt as it’s a game”.
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it → say → guilt
“If I was lucky enough to be a traitor, it would be a dream come true.
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it → come → ?
In this game the only power you have is being a traitor,” he said.
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he → have → game
“If you’re playing the game, you’re playing the game.
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you → play → game
Friendships mean diddly squat.”
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Friendships → mean → squat
After being selected Jama said: “I am so excited.
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I → select → ?
I wanted to bring a different side of me out and here she is – villain era.”
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she → want → me
Grant added he “can’t wait to start murdering”.
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he → add → ?
However soon after being selected to deceive his fellow contestants, the actor admitted he was a traitor to several other people.
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he → select → people
“What’s the point in being in the game if you’re not one,” he said.
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he → ’ → game
He then encouraged Grant to back down from his comment and reassure everyone he was in fact a faithful and making a joke.
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he → encourage → joke
“I think you’ve done something that’s never been done in the game.
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that → think → game
It’s a bold strategy,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
Realising his blunder, Grant said to the camera: “That may have been the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life.
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I → realise → life
I was so thrilled to be chosen that in my excitement I said I was a traitor.
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I → thrill → excitement
I need to defuse all of the heat coming in my direction.”
However, model and actress Jerry Hall said she did not believe he was in fact a traitor.
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he → need → fact
“I’ve known him for over 30 years and he says and does eccentric things.
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he → know → things
I think he is acting out because he hasn’t been chosen,” she said.
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she → think → ?
The other celebrities competing this season are broadcaster Amol Rajan, actor Bella Ramsey, singer James Blunt, actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, content creator King Kenny and Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
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celebrities → compete → ?
Six comedians are also taking part – James Acaster, Joanne McNally, Lycett, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan.
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comedians → take → part
The rest rounding out the cast are actor Michael Sheen, actor Myha’la, broadcaster and mathematician professor Hannah Fry, actor and presenter Ross Kemp, musician and actor Sebastian Croft and actor Sharon Rooney.
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rest → round → cast
Minutes after meeting, the celebrities were tasked with choosing who among them was considered the most trustworthy – quickly settling on Hesmondhalgh.
She was then handed two shields – allowing two people to be saved from the first murder.
Choosing to keep one for herself, she then awarded the other to Lycett.
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she → meet → Lycett
The celebrities are playing the game in Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, with a cash prize of up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice also up for grabs.
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prize → play → grabs
The contestants will try to weed out the murderous traitors among them in the eagerly anticipated second series of the BBC juggernaut, which launched last year and quickly became a major ratings success for the broadcaster.
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which → try → broadcaster
The first series of The Celebrity Traitors aired last autumn, with its nail-biting finale hitting a peak of 15.4 million viewers, according to the BBC.
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finale → air → BBC
It featured a star-studded cast including actors Celia Imrie and Nick Mohammed, author and actor Sir Stephen Fry, broadcaster Jonathan Ross and comedian Alan Carr, who went on to win as a traitor.
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who → feature → traitor
The Celebrity Traitors continues Friday at 8pm on BBC One.
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Traitors → continue → BBC
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