Celebrity Traitors fans, we’ve got big news. While everyone’s been busy talking about whether Richard E. Grant will survive the Round Table (spoiler: it’s unlikely), we’ve noticed something very important. Tonight’s episode (number 3, if you’re wondering) is 5 minutes longer than usual – and it means something. Of course it does; this is Celebrity Traitors, after all.
While we’re expecting episode 3 to start in a manner that won’t surprise anyone (goodbye Richard E. Grant), something big is coming in tonight’s “bonus” instalment – and we have some thoughts about what it is. Anyone heard about James Acaster’s breakdown yet? Or caught whispers of a removal? These are our theories about what tonight’s explosive episode has in store for us…
The ‘breakdown’
If you’re as hooked on the show as we are, you’ll know that comedian – and now Traitor – James Acaster has been a little, er, on edge. Unfortunately for James, things aren’t likely to get any easier for him given that Richard E. Grant’s departure is likely to get fingers pointing at who Richard would likely have recruited earlier in the game. We all know that James was the obvious choice, right?
So, what will become of James? Well, according to The Sun, James became so anxious during filming that producers had to halt filming. The Sun’s source allegedly said: “The show is incredibly intense and during one particular scene at the castle, James became very anxious and panicked. Some of the other celebrities on the show spoke up and said cameras should stop rolling so he could calm down, and production were in agreement as well.
“Everyone looks out for each other and there is a proper sense of camaraderie. It was good for James to have a breather, as everyone felt it was for the best. The break didn’t affect the outcome of the game at all, but showed just how passionate and tense everyone on set was. It’s easy to become fully immersed.”
Our hunch is that tonight’s the night the drama unfolds – and those extra five minutes will be very much needed.
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The ‘removal’
Now, for the second part of our theory. The first two episodes of The Celebrity Traitors have had everyone asking: why has Richard E. Grant not been banished (or removed, to be more specific)? After all, he technically broke the rules by telling everyone he was a Traitor – but did he? Fortunately for Richard, he made the admission before he took the Traitors’ oath. He’d therefore made no promise about keeping his identity secret and so he was able to live another day without producers removing him from the castle. Not everyone is likely to be so lucky, however…
Which takes us back to James. What exactly, you might be wondering, would make producers go so far as to step and stop filming – rather than just have a private chat (and medical check) with the comedian? James revealing he’s a Traitor, of course. With James’s anxiety high and all eyes on him after Richard E. Grant’s banishment, our hunch is that James reveals his true identity to his fellow contestant in a moment of madness – forcing the Celebrity Traitors team to step in and, sorry James, for him to be removed from the castle altogether. It would make sense, wouldn’t it?
The ‘recruitment spree’
And if that all happens? There’s another part to the theory. If you’ve been keeping an eye on this year’s insider gossip, you might already know that a recruitment spree is apparently on the cards. Earlier this summer, a source reportedly told The Sun: “Those working on the programme were quite shocked by the approach adopted by the core Traitors. They went on a recruiting spree that has never been seen on either the celebrity or the ‘civilian’ version of the show in the UK.
They added: “Last year, the original three Traitors secretly selected by Claudia remained as a trio throughout the competition - which turned out to be a winning approach. But on the follow-up series, all that changes. There's a thrilling shift in the balance of power. Even though the whole programme is based on skullduggery, nobody thought it would reach these levels.”
So, what does that mean for tonight’s episode? Well, following Richard’s departure and James’s breakdown, we’re expecting Maya to be given the opportunity to recruit – not one, but two Traitors. After all, James’s unexpected departure means the contestants are a man down and Maya can’t be a lone Traitor, can she? Now, we’re off to work out how that’s all going to fit into an extra 5 minutes….
