Welcome to the castle - it gets worse here every day | 2026 Celebrity Traitors Thread 4 [TV Pace]

[CaveMum]

Previous thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5587046-welcome-to-the-castle-we-take-it-day-by-day-2026-celebrity-traitors-thread-3-tv-pace?page=1

This is a tv pace thread so make sure you’re up to date with the live broadcast and yes, previous series (regular and celeb) will be discussed!

Please no spoilers if you read them online!

The story so far (as at end of episode 4)

Traitors (still active)
Maya Jama
James Acaster (recruited)
Professor Hannah Fry (recruited)

Faithful

James Blunt
Jerry Hall
Joanne McNally
Joe Lycett
King Kenny
Michael Sheen
Miranda Hart
Sebastian Croft
Sharon Rooney

Up for Murder
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Rob Beckett
Romesh Ranganathan
RossKemp (full name)

Murdered
Amol Rajan
Bella Ramsey

Banished
Richard E Grant (Traitor)
Myha’la
Julie Hesmondhalgh

Dear oh dear. I seem to have struck a nerve. I think you are taking it a bit too seriously.
As you don't actually know me or my background, being 'sceptical' is way off the mark, but thanks for your judgement.

perhaps you are one of the 'celebs' 😉

Whatever someone's background may be, it's highly unlikely that they have knowledge of other people's personal financial circumstances.

I think the producers introduced too many twists too early this time - they gave too much power to the contestants who then made some odd choices.

The “must trusted” was a good bit of starter nonsense and worked as theory-bait, but the producers should have kept control of choosing all 3 initial traitors to get the right mix. No one could have predicted REG being quite so off piste but it didn’t work making him choose the last traitor after his gaffe - it completely skewed their thinking.

Then it was mad to let just 2 contestants have such an effect on the early murders in the digging task. There was always a high risk that celebrities would choose being good luvvies and “saving everyone” vs getting extra money for charideee.

And so many murders face to face! They need to let 3 traitors settle in a bit before making them do “choose 2 to beg to join or die!”, “choose 4 for crypts!”. Particularly when the traitors ended up being so incohesive and on edge because there were only 2 and then REG was mad and then James A was a bad pick etc.

I get that it would be boring if it was always same old same old but they threw too much new stuff too quickly this time so it’s all felt a bit disjointed.

Yes, totally agree with you.

and also all the tasks are deadly serious/ghoulish, with no chance of lightness or humour like Celia Imrie or Joe Thinammy’s antics last year.

I’m generally not enjoying it as much this year. I think it’s something about the vibe among the celebs too. It’s quite a bit more downbeat and fraught (is that the word?) than last year.

I think there’s a lot to be said for the mix of people in there and whether they chime.

Probably a lot going on behind the scenes that we don’t see but that affects the dynamics.

I saw James A live once, halfway through his set, a man got up, walked to the front of the stage and started heckling and throwing things at him for several minutes before theatre security removed him. James dealt with the man sensitively and kindly while it was going on. He may not seem that exciting to some but I think he's very genuine. He looked very nervous at times last night. I don't believe he's one of those comedians that brims with self confidence and attitude.

I wouldn't say I'm finding it fraught (Ireland Traitors was the fraught one, for my money!) but it is a bit downbeat.

These are highly paid entertainers! Im not the only one saying how terrible it is this year.

Maybe the editing is off and they were all having a ball really ! Or they just were thrown by REG and it’s been downhill since then.

I read before that many comedians have troubled lives. I don't know whether that stems from the idea that clowns cry on the inside or perhaps more realistically because many people have troubled lives.......but from Celebrity Traitors alone - Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Joanne McNally (bullima)......

It makes for kinder, more emotive people albeit sadly due to suffering themselves.

It's only series 2 of the celeb version, so you can hardly criticise all the celebs who haven't been on it yet - and they aren't raising money for charity, they are being paid an appearance fee. It is the production company who pays the winning prize to the nominated charity.

Huge numbers of celebs appear on Comic Relief and Children in Need, and as far as I'm aware, they do not get paid for that at all. Many well-known people are patrons of various charities, and help to raise money for them all year round.

(I worked on the finance side of the industry a few years back.)

I'm not criticising all the celebs who haven't been on Traitors yet. I was making a broader point, meaning why undermine the actions of people who are trying to do something for charity.

I used to - I did the accounts for quite a few...

I did enjoy hearing 'I'm voting for yourself' from James A last night, I've missed that,

Nonetheless, I presume that you didn't do the accounts for every celeb going and therefore don't know what ALL celebrities make/spend/owe.

Well of course not, and even the ones I did know at the time, I still can't tell you. I was merely responding to your comment that whatever people's background, they wouldn't know about celebs' finances. In my previous career I did, and no doubt there are many others who will know now.

Anyway, enough of all that, we have digressed too far.

Agreed

All I'm saying (it's quite simple really) is that unless someone has personally done the accounts for/otherwise knows all about the finances of all the people on the Traitors right now, they can't confidently say things about how little the money on the show must mean to them.
It's so arrogant.

Please don't call me arrogant.

Jerry just adds nothing. I won't be sad to see her go.

I love Jerry. You need soneone like her. My favourites are James Blunt, Miranda and Jerry.

I also love that Kenny is a traitor. James A just seems miserrable.

I much prefer this celebrity season to the first one. They seem far more natural and engaged in the game, not jockeying for position in star ratings.

series 1 was all about worshipping the giant egos, with the less well known almost worried to speak out, in case it affected their future careers. It did improve towards the end and this series is another progression.

Series 3 should be a cracker 🤣

I think she's hilarious, so eccentric. That spontaneous reaction at the Round Table, and then digging herself an even deeper hole. I like players who don't even pretend to be strategic and just muddle through. To be honest I got a bit fed up with Hannah pretending she had it all sussed, and everyone deferring to her.

I think similarly about both Joanne and Jerry.

It would be a much poorer show without them.

The producers added them for their entertainment value and they have provided the best entertainment so far.

It also shows the power of gossip. We're all just medieval villagers at heart. I'd have liked Hannah to stay in just to show that code-breaking rules don't apply to social situations with random spanners thrown into the works at every opportunity!