The Traitors is back, with The Celebrity Traitors well underway for 2025.
On Wednesday 8th October, Claudia Winkleman welcomed 19 celebrities to the infamous Scottish castle as they prepared to take on the ultimate game. After literally digging their own graves, the celebs took a seat at the roundtable and were blindfolded as Claudia began selecting her 'Traitors' for the new series. As usual, she did her iconic walk around the table and, with one tap on the shoulder, Jonathan Ross, Cat Burns, and Alan Carr were revealed as this year's chosen three.
Before making her decision, we saw Claudia have brief one-on-one chats with each contestant, asking whether they wanted to be a 'Traitor' - murdering under the cloak of darkness - or a 'Faithful', using their detective skills to uncover the liars among them. The celebs then argued their case for why they’d make a better 'Traitor' or 'Faithful'.
However, while we see Claudia interviewing and physically selecting the 'Traitors', some viewers might be surprised to learn she doesn’t actually make the final decision.
So… who does?
When asked how the 'Traitors' are chosen each season, Claudia previously explained: "It's not me that chooses. I do those chats with them, and they're much longer than what you see on telly. Lots of people were like, 'No, I want to be a Faithful,' and then I go to a room with the bosses, and we work it out together.
"We don’t have long, but Alan said he wanted to be a 'Traitor', and they were compelling - how could you not?"
It’s clear that Claudia and the producers saw something in Alan during those early conversations. Despite his initial nerves and doubts from the public, he managed to pull off the murder in plain sight and seems to have diverted all attention away from him. Whether he'll be able to keep it up for the next three weeks, we'll have to wait and see.
The Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
