Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Annabel Nugent,Jacob Stolworthy and Rachel McGrath

Celebrity Traitors 2026 live: Richard E Grant comes out fighting at roundtable - after first ‘murder’ and third Traitor reveal

Finally, it’s that time of year again: the temperature is dropping, the nights are drawing in, and a group of celebrities are spending several weeks lying to one another in a Scottish castle. That’s right, Celebrity Traitors is back.

The VIP version of the BBC hit show has returned for its hugely anticipated second season, with the formidable and fringed Claudia Winkleman presiding over a new crop of 21 stars ready to backstab their way to victory.

Richard E Grant was overjoyed to find himself selected as a Traitor alongside Love Island’s Maya Jama. It wasn’t long, though, before the actor confessed to being a Traitor before trying to play it off as a joke.

The duo then had two big decisions to make: who to murder first, and who to recruit as a fellow Traitor. They sent Amol Rajan packing and handed a cloak to comedian James Acaster – who may well be the most reluctant Traitor in the show’s history.

Friday’s (2 October) episode also saw a challenge end with all but two celebrities, Jerry Hall and Professor Hannah Fry, given immunity from the next murder. At the roundtable, Grant fought valiantly to save himself from banishment – but will it be enough? We’ll find out next Thursday at 8pm.

Key Points

  • The full celebrity cast for Celeb Traitors 2026
  • How much are the celebrities being paid and what is the prize pot?
  • Celebrity Traitors s2 will restore your faith in the universe
  • Richard E Grant and Maya Jama commit 'murder' and pick third Traitor
  • Just two celebrities on the next 'murder' shortlist

21:29 , Rachel McGrath

And that’s a wrap on Uncloaked!

Celebrity Traitors will be back next Thursday at 8pm - and we’ll be here bringing you all the latest updates and gossip.

We have plenty more in the meantime too, as we’ll be sharing some of the best bits from the first two episodes (and our favourite memes so far).

21:22 , Rachel McGrath

Amol has revealed that some of Ross’s chatter actually ended up on the cutting room floor...

“I just want people to know, Ross Kemp would not shut up about being murdered in plain sight,” he says.

21:13 , Rachel McGrath

On Uncloaked, we’re hearing from Amol, who was interviewed the morning after his exit was filmed.

He says it was “one of the most intense moments of my life”.

Revealing how he felt when he was summoned to the church, Amol explains: “I believed, foolishly and naively, that I wasn’t going to die, I’m going to be recruited.”

Asked to sum up the experience in three words, he says: “Blessed, brutal and unforgettable.”

21:10 , Rachel McGrath

Maya has addressed her jacket choice (which has already sparked plenty of amazing memes):

21:07 , Rachel McGrath

Jake, who won series three, and Harriet, from January’s series, are guests on Uncloaked.

They’re joined by Celebrity Traitors 2025’s Tameka Empson.

21:01 , Rachel McGrath

And that’s it! We didn’t even get to see half of the votes.

Does that suggest it’s a pretty much unanimous decision?

Next up it’s spin-off show Uncloaked and I’ll be bringing you all the highlights from that too.

20:59 , Rachel McGrath

Everyone going around saying how much they’d love to be a Traitor and be recruited... you wouldn’t get this on the civilian series, would you?

20:58 , Rachel McGrath

Hannah’s absolutely smashing this. Dragging the Traitors - she’s absolutely read them to filth...

20:55 , Rachel McGrath

Richard is really sticking with this Spartacus defence.

Joanne is doubling down on how much she backs him... and launching her Leigh-Anne theory!

20:52 , Rachel McGrath

Love how certain Joanne McNally is... while being completely wrong.

20:51 , Rachel McGrath

Love that Joe still has Julie’s back. And Julie’s the first to bring up Richard! If he gets out of this, my god...

20:48 , Rachel McGrath

Here it is - the first roundtable! It looks awfully packed but it won’t stay that way for long.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

20:45 , Rachel McGrath

I love the chaos of the first roundtable.

Even with Richard having *admitted* he’s a Traitor, they’re scrambling! This should be good...

20:40 , Rachel McGrath1

Joe’s nabbed himself a brilliant souvenir...

 (BBC)
(BBC)

20:37 , Rachel McGrath

That’s £5k added to the prize pot! A valiant effort.

20:35 , Rachel McGrath1

Everyone’s out! So everybody is shielded from murder apart from Jerry and Hannah...

20:35 , Rachel McGrath

This is a weird choice, isn’t it?

To save everyone and make the murder shortlist very short, rather than go for the prize money...?

20:33 , Rachel McGrath1

Imagine going back in time and trying to explain that the best show on TV would see Richard E Grant buried with a content creator called King Kenny. Amazing.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

20:31 , Rachel McGrath

James Blunt and Rob Beckett are the first to be dug out - which means they’re safe from murder.

20:29 , Rachel McGrath

Jerry Hall is out! She’s shouted “haggis” to get out of the coffin, meaning her partner Hannah comes out too.

This means they’ll be up for murder...

20:25 , Rachel McGrath

And the decision came from James... maybe he was built to be a Traitor after all!

20:25 , Rachel McGrath

It’s not just me who finds the missions hard to understand, is it?

We’re back in the Traitors graveyard now, which is bigger than ever. And the celebs are going to be buried in their pairs in the coffins!

The Traitors have chosen one player to have a special advantage of *not* being buried... they’ve gone for Ross!

Watch: Amol gets 'murdered'

20:21 , Rachel McGrath

Here’s that brutal moment for you...

20:17 , Rachel McGrath

I think this is the best idea...

20:16 , Rachel McGrath

Is James the most reluctant Traitor of all time? Poor guy.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

20:14 , Rachel McGrath

Pairs are needed for this challenge - which gives it a “picking who to sit with on the school trip coach” vibe.

I’m really enjoying some of these chaotic duos already. Move over Rob... Romesh has Ross now!

20:10 , Rachel McGrath

And there we have it… James is a Traitor and Amol is gone! Oh wow.

“It’s gutting to be the first out,” Amol says. “But James is a fantastic player and people aren’t going to suspect him.”

 (BBC)
(BBC)

20:05 , Rachel McGrath

“Do you have more teeth than a normal person?” that was Richard to Rob Beckett. Stunning.

Best line of the episode so far, but there’s a long way to go.

20:04 , Rachel McGrath

Can we talk about Maya’s jacket? It’s huge! A brilliant way to distract people from what you’re up to, to be honest. Five stars.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

20:02 , Rachel McGrath

And we’re off! Ok, it looks like the suspense is going to continue as we’re starting with breakfast, where all will be revealed. Eeeek!

Half an hour to go!

19:30 , Rachel McGrath

This is your official warning! Tonight’s episode kicks off at 8pm.

We’ll be getting straight into the action too, with the Traitors revealing who they’ve chosen to recruit and murder.

After that... who knows?! If last night’s show is anything to go by, we should really expect the unexpected with this bunch.

19:00 , Rachel McGrath1

If you’re wondering how much cash the celebs are netting, here’s the info...

How much are Celebrity Traitors being paid and what prize will the winner get?

ICYMI: Has an editing error given away who leaves?

18:30 , Rachel McGrath

Armchair sleuths spotted a clue that might have revealed which celebrity we’ll be saying goodbye to this evening.

As the cliffhanger ending aired, the coffin of the ‘murdered’ celebrity could be slamming shut.

Fans have spotted that a candle flickers on one side of the church - suggesting the coffin closest to it was closed.

Watch the video below to see the possible clue...

Producer reacts to Richard E Grant’s huge blunder

18:00 , Rachel McGrath

The success of both the civilian and celebrity versions of The Traitors is entirely in the players’ hands… so you can imagine how stressed the show’s crew were after Richard’s huge mistake.

Executive producer Sarah Fay shared her reaction at a recent press screening of the first episode, admitting: "It was a mixture of a little bit of sick coming up in my mouth and a punch at the same time. We've never had anything like that happen before.

“I mean, within five minutes of being out of the roundtable, he'd already mucked up.”

"I still can't believe it now. But yeah, I mean, how iconic! And as producers, you always want to make sure the series are fresh and new. And we've been very lucky so far.

"Every single series, luckily, the cast brings something completely different. But never in our wildest dreams did we think that we'd have a Traitor admit they were a Traitor five minutes after the roundtable."

David Tennant backs pal Michael Sheen to make the final

17:30 , Rachel McGrath

David Tennant has shared his thoughts on how his pal Michael Sheen will fare in the castle – backing him to go all the way.

Referring to Sheen’s role in the ITV drama Quiz, he told Radio Times: "Well, he's a chameleon, isn't he? He could be a different person every day, in full prosthetics, and they'll be going, 'Who the f**k is that? Why is Chris Tarrant here?'"

"I wouldn't put [reaching the final] past him," he continued.

Unfortunately, there’s bad news for anyone hoping Tennant will follow in his Good Omens co-star’s footsteps.

"I don't think The Celebrity Traitors is something I'd want to do – I'd find it very stressful – but I'm very glad it exists,” he said.

16:34 , Rachel McGrath

Here’s a little refresher on who’s who in the castle...

Meet the full lineup of stars competing on Celebrity Traitors 2026

Claudia's stylist has good and bad news about last night's look

16:30 , Rachel McGrath

If, like me, you were lusting over the stunning Tartan trousers Claudia was wearing for last night’s challenge, then I have an important update.

The presenter’s superstar stylist, Sinead McKeefry, has revealed where they’re from.

The good news is they’re Vivienne Westwood and were purchased online. The bad news? They’re vintage and she hunted them down on Vestiaire, so our chances of finding other pairs are slim. Happy hunting...

Inside Joe Lycett's screening party

16:00 , Rachel McGrath

Joe held a special screening of last night’s series premiere at the Lycett Arms and he’s now shared a video of his pals’ reactions to the episode.

There are a few famous faces in there too - I spy Stephen Libby, one of the two Traitors who won the regular series in January!

The big questions for tonight's show

15:30 , Rachel McGrath

We may only be one episode in but there are already plenty of big questions looming over the series. Here are a few that are on my mind…

Who will be murdered – and who’ll become a Traitor?

Either James or Amol will be suffering a fate no celebrity wants: leaving first. They both made pretty solid cases to the Traitors but I think James might have just edged it by pointing out that he has been on Richard’s case the most.

Amol is a very smart man and would make a brilliant Traitor… but if I were in Maya and Richard’s position, I’d try to think long term too. What are the chances he could outsmart them in a Traitor-on-Traitor war? I’d say pretty high.

How long can Richard E Grant survive?

I say ‘how long’ because his days are clearly numbered. With so little other evidence to go on, the Faithfuls will surely vote him out either at the first round table or one shortly after.

Will Ross Kemp’s blood pressure come down?

That man is on edge. When I saw the cast list, he was the celebrity I was most excited to see in the game and he has not disappointed. I am not kidding when I say I had tears in my eyes at his antics last night. TV gold.

What time is Celebrity Traitors on tonight?

15:00 , Rachel McGrath

I don’t know about you but I am counting down the hours.

Tonight’s episode - which will start with the first murder and a third Traitor being selected - kicks off at 8pm on BBC One.

This will be followed by the spin-off show Uncloaked at 9pm.

14:30 , Annabel Nugent

More Traitors means more fabulous knitwear, courtesy of who else but Claudia Winkleman – some sartorial inspiration just in time for autumn.

Check out the best of her show-stopping looks below...

A look back at Claudia Winkleman’s best outfits on The Traitors

The memes are still rolling in...

13:52 , Rachel McGrath

Man, I love the internet.

There was a lot to love in last night’s bonkers episode but for me, the king of the castle is Ross Kemp.

'Withnail & I' director: 'Don't tell Richard E Grant anything'

12:30 , Jacob Stolworthy

One person who won’t be surprised by Richard E Grant’s loose lips on The Celebrity Traitors is Withnail & I director Bruce Robinson.

Robinson once said that the actor, who starred in his 1987 comedy, should be told “nothing” because he is such a “terrible gossip”.

“I’m convinced that when he’s on his own, he gossips about himself,” he added, according to The Telegraph.

Celebrity Traitors premiere smashes own audience record

12:00 , Jacob Stolworthy

The series two premiere of The Celebrity Traitors drew a massive live audience of 8.9 million people – three million more than the inaugural episode of its first season.

Celebrity Traitors premiere smashes own audience record with 9 million tuning in

'Traitors' contestant drops big hint about fate

11:45 , Jacob Stolworthy

Journalist Amol Rajan appears to have hinted he could be the first to leave The Celebrity Traitors.

Rajan is in the mix to be “murdered” alongside comedian James Acaster, and the only way he can survive is if Traitors Maya Jama and Richard E Grant recruit him as an accomplice.

However, on Friday (2 October), Rajan shared a post on LinkedIn, which he ended: “I'll always be Faithful – to my principles.”

Amol Rajan drops 'Celebrity Traitors' hint (LinkedIn)
Amol Rajan drops 'Celebrity Traitors' hint (LinkedIn)

Our verdict on 'The Celebrity Traitors' series 2

11:30 , Jacob Stolworthy

The best show on telly is truly in its golden age. Sit back and enjoy this brilliant, bonkers ride

The Celebrity Traitors is so glorious it’ll restore your faith in the universe

ICYMI: The Traitors come face to face for first time

11:00 , Jacob Stolworthy

Richard E Grant just made the wildest move in Traitors history

10:32 , Jacob Stolworthy

In the opening episode of The Celebrity Traitors, the flappy Withnail & I star took the series to places it has never been before and instantly became, as Maya Jama gloriously put it, the show’s ‘unhinged uncle’.

What on earth is going to happen next? asks Ellie Harrison

Richard E Grant just made the wildest move in Traitors history

Celebrity Traitors viewers spot clue that might have given away who’s been ‘murdered’

10:00 , Jacob Stolworthy

Is it an error or an intentional misstep?

Celebrity Traitors viewers spot clue that might give away who’s been ‘murdered’

09:30 , Annabel Nugent

I’m calling it now, Myha’la is going to be behind some of the best memes this season. Did we catch these reactions last night? Pure gold.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

09:00 , Annabel Nugent

From Richard E Grant’s major blunder to Ross Kemp’s rampant paranoia, here’s everything you missed on episode one of Celebrity Traitors...

The Celebrity Traitors is so glorious it’ll restore your faith in the universe

Did Richard and Maya make their first error?

08:33 , Jacob Stolworthy

When Claudia asked Traitors Maya Jama and Richard E Grant to consider recruiting two Faithful to their cause, they sensed an opportunity to take the heat off Richard, opting for his biggest doubters, Amol Rajan and James Acaster.

Both stated their case for why they should fill the third Traitor spot, and whoever Jama and Grant don’t pick in tonight’s episode will be “murdered”.

But whoever is eliminated out of Rajan and Acaster will inadvertently throw suspicion onto Grant – the better play would surely have been to recruit one of them, and to “murder” somebody completely random.

Claudia Winkleman reflects on shock confession

08:09 , Jacob Stolworthy

Claudia Winkleman has explained why Richard E Grant blabbed about being a Traitor, revealing he was so “giddy” he couldn’t contain his excitement.

Grant had pleaded with Winkleman to make him a Traitor before the first roundtable – and she said she “couldn’t not give it to him because he wanted it so much, and he was compelling”.

She continued: “He’s Richard E Grant, I couldn’t believe that he was actually in the castle. He was giddy and about five minutes later, he went ‘Oh!’

“The genius of the game is everybody plays it completely differently, and he took that to the next level.”

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Richard E Grant ‘is the new Alan Carr’

07:30 , Jacob Stolworthy

Remember when Alan Carr became a giggling mess after being told he was a Traitir? And then bursting into laughter when asked to say: “I am a Faithful”?

Well, Richard E Grant is giving that energy. After boldly announcing he was a Traitor to his shocked co-stars, viewers have hailed the Oscar’s-nominated actor the “icon” of this series after just one episode.

'Richard E Grant may have already out done Alan Carr's performance and we're only on the first episode,” one fan wrote, with another even predicting success for the star: “We laugh at Richard being bait, but let’s not forget Alan Carr won last year when he couldn’t even say ‘I am a Faithful’ with a straight face.”

One fan added: “Richard E Grant with the most BIZARRE strategy of all time.@

Time will tell if it works…

07:00 , Annabel Nugent

ICYMI: meet the stars who Claudia chose to be this season’s Traitors...

The Celebrity Traitors: Claudia Winkleman picks her team of backstabbing stars

06:00 , Annabel Nugent

The big news of the episode was a terrible blunder by Richard E Grant who, within moments of being made a Traitor, confessed his treacherous status to the rest of the castle.

05:00 , Annabel Nugent

Did you catch Romesh schooling Joanne on vocabulary after she told him that she “trusts him complicitly”?

 (BBC)
(BBC)

'One of the most intense moments of my life'

21:35 , Rachel McGrath

After becoming the first celebrity to be murdered, Amol Rajan appeared on the spin-off show Uncloaked.

In an interview that was filmed the morning after his exit, he described the church meeting as “one of the most intense moments of my life”.

Revealing how he felt when he was summoned to the church, Amol added: “I believed, foolishly and naively, that I wasn’t going to die, I’m going to be recruited.”

Asked to sum up the experience in three words, he says: “Blessed, brutal and unforgettable.”

03:00 , Annabel Nugent

The Independent’s culture editor was completely thrilled to see the return of Traitors – read our five-star review below...

The Celebrity Traitors is so glorious it’ll restore your faith in the universe

02:00 , Annabel Nugent

I’ve got to agree with Ed Gamble who called Ross Kemp’s paranoia one of “the funniest things I’ve seen on TV”.

Ed Gamble says Ross Kemp on Traitors is ‘one of funniest things I’ve ever seen’

01:00 , Annabel Nugent

The best part of Traitors has got to be the memes...

Friday 2 October 2026 00:00 , Annabel Nugent

ICYMI, Claudia selected Richard E Grant and Maya Jama as her Traitors of the season. Here’s a shot of them looking particularly mischievous…

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 23:00 , Annabel Nugent

The action will resume once again on Friday night, with the second episode of Celeb Traitors airing at 8pm on BBC One. Don’t miss it!

 (PA)
(PA)

Thursday 1 October 2026 22:00 , Annabel Nugent

And that’s a wrap on all things Celebrity Traitors for tonight… be sure to stay tuned to this live blog, which will be running through to tomorrow’s episode when we’ll find out the fates of James Acaster and Amol Rajan.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:44 , Annabel Nugent

I hadn’t realised that King Kenny has a connection to past Celeb Traitors contestant Niko Omilana.

Both social media stars are part of the YouTube collective Beta Squad. King Kenny has said he wants to avenge his pal who was booted off the show early last year.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:38 , Annabel Nugent

I missed that moment earlier when James Blunt explained why he’s been a traitor his whole life. “I’m the guy who tells everyone they’re beautiful when they’re not. ”

Well, that’s a bit… blunt.

(Forgive me!)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:37 , Annabel Nugent

Kate Garraway is talking about Michael Sheen who, I must say, I completely forgot was even in the show. The Welsh actor had very little screen time in the first episode, but I’m looking forward to seeing more of him as the season goes on.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:35 , Annabel Nugent

“He’s here for a good time, not a long time”... Stephen on Richard E Grant, and I don’t disagree.

Though, Richard does have likability going for him. I do think there’s something to be said for the fact his fellow contestants will want to keep him around purely for the vibes.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:33 , Annabel Nugent

Moments before disaster...

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:29 , Annabel Nugent

Ed Gamble is saying exactly what I was thinking during that Richard E Grant moment!

All Richard had to do to cover up his confession is quickly laugh and say, “I’m joking!” Instead, he doubled down. Totally bizarre... great telly, though.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:27 , Annabel Nugent

Richard did manage to slip his confession by Jerry Hall who said she knows Richard isn’t a Traitor thanks to her special insight as his neighbour. Oh Jerry, if only you knew.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:25 , Annabel Nugent

We’re off to a rollicking start with a superb, action-packed first episode of Celeb Traitors.

Check out our five-star review here...

The Celebrity Traitors is so glorious it’ll restore your faith in the universe

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:24 , Annabel Nugent

I agree that Amol made a strong plea for himself, but so did James – particularly given that he didn’t want to be a Traitor in the first place.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:22 , Annabel Nugent

Stephen thinks Maya and Richard have made a grave error picking Amol and James given that both stars have repeatedly thrown suspicion on to Richard. If either of them are murdered, it points straight to Richard.

According to Stephen, Ross – who is accusing everyone under the sun – would’ve been the better choice. It’s hard to argue with that!

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:19 , Annabel Nugent

For those of you who don’t know, The Traitors: Uncloaked is the official companion show/podcast for the series and features interviews with recently banished and murdered players, expert analysis from former contestants, celebrity superfans, and unseen footage. The best part of it is getting to see the moment that the eliminated players discover the true identities of the Traitors – there’s a lot of “I KNEW IT!”

'Uncloaked' host Ed Gamble (BBC/Listen Entertainment/James Green)
'Uncloaked' host Ed Gamble (BBC/Listen Entertainment/James Green)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:18 , Annabel Nugent

Celeb Traitors star Cat Burns is on Uncloaked and has named her winner of the series: Maya Jama.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:17 , Annabel Nugent

And just as quickly as it started, the first episode of Celebrity Traitors is done and dusted. Not to worry, though, there’s plenty of debriefing to be done on the spin-off show Uncloaked, which will begin… right about now.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:17 , Annabel Nugent

Dun dun dun… of course it’s a cliffhanger! It wouldn’t be Traitors without it, I suppose – thought that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:12 , Annabel Nugent

It’s a tough one but I think I would pick James to stay simply because he’s a comedian. Who doesn’t need a good laugh when you find yourself suddenly lying face-up in a coffin?

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:10 , Annabel Nugent

Our Traitors are looking good!

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:08 , Annabel Nugent

Personally, I think it will be Amol who is the one to go. James has been very vocal about his suspicions of Richard, so I think taking him out of the game would be too obvious a move.

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:07 , Annabel Nugent

I do love getting a little bit of insight into celebrity handwriting...

 (BBC)
(BBC)

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:06 , Annabel Nugent

So that’s it: James Acaster and Amol Rajan are being summoned to the chapel, which means one of them will be the next Traitor and one of them will be going home.

I can’t believe it’ll be the final night for either of them – it’s hardly worth unpacking your bags for!

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:05 , Annabel Nugent

Are you listening to this music right now? The lyrics are very literal, aren’t they? All about killing and dying... it’s like the Halloween version of the AI-sounding songs that soundtrack Love Island.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:03 , Annabel Nugent

It’s time for Richard and Maya to decide which two Faithfuls they are going to call upon… it is a bit of a shame that basically the only angle they can consider is who is going to throw the attention off Richard. He’s really shot himself in the foot hasn’t he?

Deliberation sees a number of names thrown into the mix: Romesh, Bella, Amol, and “laser-eyed” James Acaster. I’d be sorry to see any of them go so soon!

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:02 , Annabel Nugent

And just like that, it’s time for bed again. I do always feel sorry for the Faithfuls who have to scamper off back to their individual rooms for the night while the Traitors get up to mischief in the Turret. I would have major FOMO.

Thursday 1 October 2026 21:02 , Annabel Nugent

Ross’s paranoia is in overdrive! Now he thinks Leigh-Anne has laid him to rest after the Little Mix singer touched his shoulder in the bar. Sometimes a touch on the shoulder is just a touch on the shoulder…

 (Traitors)
(Traitors)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.