Celebrity Traitors sleuths think they’ve worked out which contestant has been “murdered” after the series two premiere’s big cliffhanger.
The gripping episode ended after the designated Traitors – Love Island presenter Maya Jama and Oscar-nominated actor Richard E Grant – were tasked with choosing their third accomplice. The duo opted for comedian James Acaster and journalist Amol Rajan.
The two candidates had been most vocal in their suspicions about Grant, who accidentally declared he was a Traitor to his fellow contestants moments after being selected by host Claudia Winkleman.
Acaster and Rajan were called in the middle of the night to plead their case for why they would make a good Traitor, with viewers having to wait until Friday night’s (2 October) episode to see who will complete the 2027 Traitor trio – and who will be on the chopping block.
However, many viewers think they’ve worked it out thanks to a candle flicker in the closing moments, caused by Winkleman shutting the coffin lid on the “murdered” contestant. It appears to show the candle shaking and the flame flickering on Rajan’s side, suggesting that they had selected Acaster as their third Traitor.
”Judging by the candle flicker on Maya’s side. James is still alive and it wasn’t his coffin shut,” one viewer wrote after the episode aired. Others appeared to notice that Jama and Grant were looking at Rajan’s coffin: “Reckon @amolrajan was murdered. Richard and Maya definitely stared to their right as the coffin closed, which is where Amol was lying.”
This could, of course, be a production misdirect, with one fan stating: “That candle flicker has surely made it too obvious who is dead.”
The celebrity version of the BBC hit show features a new crop of 21 stars ready to backstab their way to victory, with tough guy Ross Kemp already letting his paranoia get the best of him.
In The Independent’s five-star review, Jessie Thompson called Grant’s epic blunder “a spectacular marmalade-dropper of a moment that sums up why The Traitors is so perfect”.
“You don’t know what ridiculous things people will do – famous or otherwise – while playing a silly party game in a Scottish castle, but you do know it will be infinitely entertaining,” Thompson wrote. “People either love The Traitors, or don’t watch it. To those in the latter camp, I can only ask… why? Life is hard, and this is the best thing on TV. It’s a blessed relief that it has returned.”
The Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One on Thursdays and Fridays.
