huffingtonpost - 16 hours ago

The stars of The Celebrity Traitors pictured during their first challenge of the seriesRumours about a celebrity version of The Traitors had been floating around for months before it was finally confirmed to be happening more than a year ago – and like many devotees of the Bafta-winning series, it was an idea I had mixed feelings about.True, every series of the show so far had me utterly gripped, so I was excited at the prospect of there being yet more Traitors to enjoy. And it certainly piqued my interest when rumours started pouring in about some genuine A-listers being booked for the line-up, rather than the usual suspects we’ve already seen competing on every other celebrity reality show going.At the same time, though, I did have some reservations about how well the format would translate when celebrities were thrown into the mix. The US edition of The Traitors has always incorporated established names, mostly from the world of reality TV, but the UK version had previously only ever included everyday people from all walks of life, which meant, if nothing else, that the hefty prize pot is a life-changing amount for the contestants. Without that, I was concerned that the celebrity contestants wouldn’t have any incentive to treat the game with the seriousness we were used to.Plus, given how many of them were likely to have known each other from various showbiz circles over the years, there was always a risk that the famous contestants were always going to favour their friends.Well, we’re now two episodes in, and clearly I needn’t have worried on either front.Claudia Winkleman with the cast of The Celebrity TraitorsIndeed, one factor I hadn’t taken into consideration is that on the Celebrity Traitors, the participants already have existing public personas and, crucially, reputations to consider. Even if the stakes of taking home a massive cash prize aren’t there on this new series, in their place is the fact that everyone is paying for charity, and no one wants to be caught on camera looking like they’re not pulling their weight for a good cause. As a result, the celebrities arguably have even more reason to play the game to the best of their ability – and play the game they are.Some stars on the line-up might have taken part thinking that the gameplay elements of The Traitors might have made for a less exposing experience than, say, Celebrity Big Brother or I’m A Celebrity, with less potential for embarrassment than Strictly Come Dancing or The Masked Singer. However, as we’ve already seen in the first two instalments, once players are sucked into the game of The Traitors, it doesn’t take long before layers start peeling back, and the celebrity contestants are revealing more of themselves than intended. Who’d have thought, for example, that it would only take two episodes for the cherubic national treasure that is Tom Daley to suddenly be quietly pointing fingers and unabashedly rolling his eyes at fellow contestants for no reason other than their enthusiastic reactions to things and expansive vocabular (or that the celeb in question would be Kate Garraway, who less than a year earlier had been crying in front of the nation while accepting an award for her documentary about grieving the loss of her husband)?Similarly, no one could have predicted how quickly Alan Carr would turn on his close friend outside of the game, Paloma Faith, who has certainly made no secret of the fact she’s still a little bruised by her pal’s actions.Alan Carr as a Traitor has already made for some iconic viewingEven if this behaviour in the real world might be rather unbecoming, in the context of the show, it’s all for the greater good, and is ultimately a somewhat unselfish act, as ever finger pointed or friend double-crossed in the Celebrity Traitors ultimately brings the celebrities in the castle one step closer to raising more money for the worthy cause of their choice. And it’s this juxtaposition that sets the show apart from the regular edition, completely changing the stakes for those in the game – and will no doubt keep me hooked over the next month of viewing.The Celebrity Traitors airs on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 9pm on BBC One.READ MORE:Paloma Faith Reveals How Things Stand Between Herself And Alan Carr After Celebrity Traitors TwistJonathan Ross Clarifies Celebrity Traitors Comments After Claiming He Didn t Enjoy The ShowTom Daley Just Gave Us Our New Favourite Meme On The Celebrity Traitors

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