Series two of The Celebrity Traitors reached a pivotal moment in its ninth episode as the faithfuls finally mounted a serious challenge against the traitors. The game took a dramatic turn when the group realised that the traitors had once again successfully manipulated the proceedings to their advantage, leaving the faithfuls reeling ahead of the grand final. Nevertheless, it left a big impact on the faithful crew as they realised they had let the traitors land yet another blow ahead of Friday’s final.
King Kenny, wielding the power of a double vote, effectively removed another faithful from the competition. Metaphorically speaking, at least – King Kenny held all the cards, choosing to use his special power of a double vote to send another faithful packing, having been bestowed with the almighty power of the double dagger – well.
While the choice between Sharon Rooney and Joanne McNally did not provide a major surprise for viewers, the fallout was significant. Joanne departed in tears, later joking that she was “premenstrual,” while confirming she had been a “hardcore faithful” throughout. Maya described her as a “ball of fun,” while Kenny maintained his charade by pretending to be conflicted over his decisive vote, even offering comfort to Sharon. It wasn’t hugely thrilling for viewers at home, given that the pair up for banishment – Sharon Rooney and Joanne McNally – were both faithfuls, as cliffhangers go. According to we’ve got to pull something out of the bag,”, Frustrated faithful Michael Sheen later. Having been chosen for the chopping block so soon after escaping banishment, throwing all the faithfuls into more confusion, sharon – aka Poundland Poirot – failed to appear in the dining room. And the obsession with the peacock perfume wasn’t going anywhere.
Behind the scenes, the tension remained palpable. James Blunt spent his time wandering the castle in search of a drink, lamenting his inability to find anything “stiff” beyond a tray of empty glasses. Meanwhile, the traitorous trio of Kenny, Maya, and James A met in the turret to discuss their next moves. Maya reflected on the difficulty of maintaining the persona, stating, “The life of a traitor… it’s not for everyone.” Kenny remained overtly optimistic, urging his counterparts to “have faith.” Meanwhile, James Blunt was on the hunt for whiskey like a teenager at the end of a house party: “Where do they keep the stiff stuff?” he asked himself, finding only a tray of empty glasses. Although to be fair, he has shown a bit more enthusiasm for some pantomime villainy in the last couple of episodes, and that probably includes James A. As ever, James B was as far off the pace as me in the year 11 cross-country race. James A, who failed dismally to defend himself against Michael’s accusations, clearly couldn’t take any more and confessed he was a traitor at the table. Digital versions of the dead celebs in bell jars had to be matched to the correct gravestone in the castle gardens. The latest banished and murdered celebs have their say in Uncloaked. Which were often wrong, romesh put heat on James B due to his vocal accusations.
The atmosphere at breakfast grew increasingly frosty. Leigh-Anne Pinnock challenged James A regarding his potential status as a traitor, only for James B to sarcastically remark that they were targeting the most innocent players. Michael Sheen, adopting the persona of a “vengeful daddy,” issued a stern warning to the traitors, promising to push them until they suffered. He specifically confronted Maya in the kitchen, suggesting that a partnership between her and Kenny would be an impressive traitor strategy. Giving his most rousing oratory since his motivational speech for the Welsh football team ahead of the 2022 World Cup, michael had a warning for the traitors though. With Bash throwing the spotlight on “the head of the round table” Michael, Kenny putting suspicion on James B, while Romesh pointed the finger at actual traitor Maya, shoc, theories were soon flying left right and centre. Traitors… today is going to be a living hell for you, I am going to push and push and push and you are going to suffer today. And so to the penultimate round table. (A shout out to Claudia’s sequin-tastic midnight blue trouser suit). In turn, he first went back to his previous suspicion of Leigh-Anne on the night of the murder in plain sight, accusing her again of using her Big Mix dance with Miranda as a distraction.
The group later participated in a challenging mission involving the retrieval of severed heads belonging to murdered contestants, which were then reunited with their corresponding bodies in a grim, Frankenstein-style laboratory setting. Michael joked about the surreal nature of the task, noting that seeing Ross Kemp’s face in a pickle jar was particularly unsettling. The mission, overseen by host Claudia Winkleman, was inspired by the well-wailing challenge from the first series.
As the final round table approached, the intensity peaked.
Romesh and Bash openly questioned Maya’s ability to glide through the game undetected, with Bash suggesting her skill level was “Olympic. Romesh and Bash decided she had gone under the radar long enough: “One of the greatest gliders in the game.
During the session, Michael was scrutinised for his dominant presence at the table, while he in turn reignited his suspicions toward Leigh-Anne.
However, the game changed forever when the group began connecting the dots regarding the night of Ross Kemp’s departure, identifying that Maya, Kenny, and James A had all been present in the library at that time.
Faced with mounting pressure and unable to mount a successful defense, James A provided the series’ most shocking moment by confessing his role. “I was made a traitor without wanting to be,” he told the stunned group, adding that he had desperately wanted to remain a faithful but found it impossible to ask for a banishment vote directly. His admission was met with universal agreement, as the other contestants immediately cast their votes for him.
Following the session, Michael Sheen turned his sights toward Maya, leaving her visibly shaken as the group prepared for the final stages of the competition. The conclusion of The Celebrity Traitors will be broadcast on One and iPlayer this Friday at 20:00 GMT, with additional coverage available on the live page starting at 18:00 GMT. Could they really just walk it to the final, with the traitors still riding high following last Friday’s episode. You can also follow along on our live page from 18:00 GMT on Friday. Watch on iPlayer with new episodes every Thursday and Friday.
