Cards on the table, I typically loathe celebrity versions of popular reality shows. Usually, they serve as little more than vehicles for ex-"Love Island" contestants or washed-up social media influencers to wring out whatever fading relevancy they’ve got left. So when the BBC confirmed it was debuting “The Celebrity Traitors” this year, my skepticism was significant.
I’ve seen this film TV show before, and I didn’t like the ending. But in this case, I’m happy to admit my cynicism was unwarranted. "The Celebrity Traitors” is shaping up to be a contender for the best season of the British reality series yet. After two episodes, I’m already hooked, and the murder-mystery format is proving no less compelling with famous faces involved.
“The Celebrity Traitors” is currently airing on BBC One, weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with catch-up available via BBC iPlayer. For readers outside the U.K. who don’t want to dodge spoilers until it broadcasts beyond Old Blighty, you can watch along from anywhere with a VPN.
I'm not much of a reality TV watcher in general, but “The Traitors” has become appointment viewing in my household since the British version debuted back in November 2022. And to my surprise and delight, “The Celebrity Traitors” is proving no exception at this early stage.
‘Celebrity Traitors’ is as good as the regular show
In any celebrity-focused reality series, the cast is always going to be make-or-break, and the familiar faces assembled for "Celebrity Traitors" certainly speak to how popular the series has become in the U.K. (and internationally). Rather than plunging into the depths of Z-list fame, the BBC has managed to get several well-recognised players into the parlor game.
Look, we’re obviously not taking A-listers here (Idris Elba was clearly unavailable), but there are plenty of household names, including Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, Clare Balding, Stephen Fry and Paloma Faith. Not to mention “Ted Lasso’s” Nick Mohammed, former Olympian Tom Daley and classical singer Charlotte Church. It’s a strong cast of names people actually know.
But the downside of recognizable names is that these people are all, to at least some degree, “media trained.” They’ve been in the public eye for years (decades in some cases) and know their way around a probing interview. I had concerns that this would lead to a sanitized season where the celebrity contests would be more restrained compared to the chaotic game plans deployed in the seasons comprised of mere “normal” people.
We’re only two episodes in, but that’s proving far from the case. Jonathan Ross has taken to being a traitor with deliciously sinister glee, while Alan Carr seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown as he struggles with his shadowy role. Meanwhile, Tom Daley is declaring himself highly perceptive while suspecting just about everybody apart from the actual traitors (the third traitor is singer Cat Burns), it’s all classic “The Traitors” mayhem.
The season is only two episodes deep, but already my fears that “Celebrity Traitors” would be a weak imitation of the popular reality show are fading fast. The cast is charismatic, as you would expect, and even with their celebrity status, everybody seems fully invested and willing to commit to crafty manipulation and (questionable) strategies to win. That’s the perfect recipe for an absorbing season of reality TV, and I can’t wait to watch it unfold over the next few weeks.
Now, if the show’s editors could just go a little easier on the cliffhanger endings — seriously, cutting to credits just as the first banishment was about to be revealed was not cool — then “The Celebrity Traitors” may rank as one of the best seasons of reality TV I've ever watched by the grand finale.
How to watch ‘Celebrity Traitors’ online from anywhere
For folks in the U.K., watching ‘The Celebrity Traitors’ is as simple as tuning into BBC One on your television at 9 p.m. BST on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Alternatively, you can catch up for free via BBC iPlayer. Just remember you’ll need a TV license to watch along.
“Celebrity Traitors” is also streaming on Crave for viewers in Canada. As of now, the series isn’t available in the U.S. (but will likely arrive on Peacock in the future, as with previous U.K. seasons), but if you’re a Brit abroad and don’t want to miss out, you can still watch on BBC iPlayer with a VPN.
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- How to watch 'Celebrity Traitors' 2025 online from anywhere
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