Christmas is here. Well, our version of Christmas anyway! The Celebrity Traitors is back tonight and Claudia Winkleman is welcoming 21 star-studded contestants to Ardross Castle. From Richard E. Grant and Jerry Hall to Maya Jama and Joanne McNally, it’s the most eclectic mix of people in showbiz we’ve seen in one game show.
It's already been an eventful ride, and it hasn't even started yet. During production, filming was temporarily halted, paranoia was off the charts and there was even a last-minute recruiting spree. But before Claudia welcomes the celebrities, here's a rundown of everyone entering the ultimate game of deception - including who we think will be cast as the first Traitors.
Bella Ramsey, actor
Bella, 23, has been acting since the age of four, scoring their breakthrough role on Game of Thrones aged 11 before going on to star in The Last of Us. They’re also a self-confessed “game player”. Bella has been playing versions of The Traitors since they were 10 and has hosted regular games nights ever since. With this experience, they’ll definitely be one to watch!
James Acaster, comedian and podcast host
James, 41, is known for his stand-up, the panel show Hypothetical and hit food podcast Off Menu, which he hosts alongside Ed Gamble. As for his secret weapon, he’s an adept puzzler. He completes all the New York Times games every morning. Also, he used to be a Scout. We assume he’s very prepared.
Joe Lycett, comedian
Joe, 38, is a proud Brummie and TV personality - and now he’s swapping The Lycett Arms for the Scottish Highlands. Despite making groups of people laugh for a living, he admits that he operates as a “lone wolf”. He also says he isn’t reactive and loves to hold a grudge. These things could serve him well if he’s cast as a Traitor.
Miranda Hart, actor and author
Miranda, 53, is best known for her sitcom Miranda and felt compelled to join Claudia’s castle after recovering from long-term health issues. As for her special power, she reckons she has a proven track record for sniffing out liars from being highly successful whilst watching the game show Would I Lie To You?. I guess we’ll find out!
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Myha’la, actor
American actor Myha’la, 30, has become a household name for her portrayal of ruthless investment banker and trader Harper Stern in BBC’s Industry. However, to improve her chances she’s desperate to ditch her character’s bullish reputation and has even prepared her outfits for Ardross Castle accordingly, opting for feminine looks. In her spare time, she loves a debate and believes she can talk her way in and out of anything. This could serve her well in the round table discussions.
Romesh Ranganathan, comedian
Romesh, 48, is another comedian hoping his quick wit and presenting skills will be handy in the game. To prepare, he’s read sport psychology books and says he’ll try and under explain as much as possible. He’s also best buds with fellow contestant and comedian Rob Beckett - but will they stay loyal or betray each other?
Amol Rajan, journalist
Amol, 43, is used to grilling politicians and also hosts University Challenge. He’s going to try and suppress his investigation skills in the early days of the competition so he doesn’t become an easy target. As for his other talents, he’s an avid gamer and has a good memory. He likes to learn poems and facts by heart. This mental agility won't exactly be a hindrance.
Professor Hannah Fry, mathematician
Hannah, 42, also boasts an impressive intellect. She’s at the University of Cambridge and even applied the same maths Alan Turing used to crack the Enigma machine to analyse previous contestant patterns in preparation.
James Blunt, musician
James, 52, is known for his singing career, but before making hits such as You’re Beautiful, he served in the military - which could prove invaluable for the missions. He’s also admitted to never having seen the show and has watched all the older series in order to catch up. Going in blind could serve him well or could be his downfall.
Jerry Hall, model and actor
Jerry, 70, is an international superstar and might just dazzle fellow contestants with her star power. As for her hidden talents, she was a girl’s leg-wresting champion in her school district, and holds the Guinness World Record for performing in the most theatrical West End plays in one night. This stamina could come in handy. She’s also friends with Richard E. Grant, who was her neighbour for 30 years. They even co-starred together in a film called Tooth. We’ll see if the pair remain loyal to each other in the Highlands.
Joanne McNally, comedian
Joanne, 43, is the Irish queen of comedy known for her unapologetic chaotic energy and hit podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me with co-host Vogue Williams. As for preparation, the star has had six packs of hair extensions put in and has watched previous series of the show. However, her game plan is to not overprepare and just enjoy the ride. We’ll see if her happy-go-lucky energy carries her far, and if she manages to keep all the extensions intact.
Julie Hesmondhalgh, actor
Julie, 56, is best known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street from 1998 to 2014. She's admitted that there's more to her than meets the eye, since most people associate her with the kind-hearted character she played. According to Julie, she's incredibly competitive, which fellow contestants might not suspect. Also, she's a super fan of the show and has watched every series and we're not just talking the UK ones. This could help her read the others.
King Kenny, content creator
Kenny Ojuederie, 29, is an internet personality known as King Kenny and is part of a YouTube collective known for their pranking content. His ability to pull off a good practical joke and his background in boxing could prove helpful for both bluffing and succeeding in the missions.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock, singer
Leigh-Anne, 34, is a pop sensation best known for being in the girlband Little Mix. Her success in one of the UK’s biggest pop bands proves she knows how to be a team player. When she’s not performing, she loves keeping fit and murder mysteries, two hobbies that could serve her well. Her good friend and former Traitor Cat Burns advised her to stay as “cool as a cucumber” so we’ll soon find out if she follows her advice.
Maya Jama, presenter
Maya, 31, is a vivacious presenter known for her fun-loving nature and hosting Love Island. Her time behind the scenes on reality TV might give her insight into how to act in front of the camera.
Michael Sheen, actor
Michael, 57, has made a career out of playing complex and controversial historical and political figures. This could come in very handy. He’s even filmed in the same area as Ardross Castle when he played Prince Andrew in A Very Royal Scandal. Also, as the only Welsh contestant, his accent might make him seem more likeable. Plus, he doesn't have to fake it like series 3 Traitors contestant Charlotte who used a fake Welsh voice to appear more trustworthy.
Richard E. Grant, actor
Richard, 69, is another actor swapping the stage for the turrets. The Saltburn star is a self-confessed Traitors super fan. He thinks his track record for taking on villains could be disadvantageous. As for his strengths, he hopes his wavering optimism could get him to the finish line.
Rob Beckett, comedian
Rob, 40, is yet another comedian joining the group – and he’s been hosting Rob & Romesh Vs… since 2019. As for his skillset, he’s good at Lego - which could help if there’s a puzzle mission.
Ross Kemp, actor and presenter
Ross, 62, is an actor who’s well known for playing EastEnders’ Grant Mitchell. He’s also an experienced presenter who’s used to throwing himself into dangerous environments with documentary series such as Ross Kemp On Gangs. He’s a qualified HSE diver and has completed hostile environment training - and Ardross Castle certainly qualifies as a hostile environment.
Sebastian Croft, actor and singer
Sebastian, 24, is known for the Netflix series Heartstopper. As well as his ability to act, he’s a devout fan of the show and regularly plays the game with friends and family. Alongside Hannah, he picks up the award for most studious player. He's read up on all the twists, and long lists of rules of the games - talk about preparation.
Sharon Rooney, actor
Sharon, 37, is known for her roles in My Mad Fat Diary and Barbie. She says despite her family regularly playing poker, she doesn’t have a good poker face and being an only child means she hasn’t played a lot of board games. As for her greatest strengths - she said she’ll stay true to herself and won’t easily be swayed.
Who’s most likely to be a Celebrity Traitor?
While we might not have any concrete evidence, we have a hunch about who’ll be the first Celebrity Traitors. As the last series saw Claudia cloak Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross and Cat Burns to deceive the faithfuls, we think the second series will pick up in a similar fashion - enter The Traitor Trio.
For starters, our money is on Julie Hesmondhalgh. As we mentioned, she’s a national treasure known for playing one of the sweetest women to ever have graced the cobbles - Hayley Cropper. We think her character’s kind-hearted reputation will precede her, making her the perfect contestant to go under the radar and secretly kill fellow contestants. Also, we think there's a much more mischievous side to Julie we can't wait to see!
But, who will she be joined by? We've identified two game players amongst the ranks who've made no secret of their preparation and we think would make master manipulators. First is Bella Ramsey, they're one of the youngest contestants at 23 and have been playing a version of the game since they were 10 - that's over a decade of practice. They're also a professional actor, which through they'd argue otherwise, means being exceptionally good at lying.
Joining this triangle of deception? We reckon it's Bella's friend, Sebastian, a fellow actor and fresh-faced contestant. He's a lesser-known celebrity which should serve him well since he has the chance to forge a completely fresh impression. He's also an avid player of the game, he plays Traitors at Christmas with his family and even had a Traitors themed birthday party in December! That's not all, he's even studied and revised all the games, and even went to a fortuneteller before entering the castle. While he's kept quiet about what she envisioned, we're vocal about our prediction that he'll be in the turret alongside Bella and Julie.
