Welcome to the castle - Sometimes we get burned, you’d think sometime we’d learn | 2026 Celebrity Traitors Thread 8 [Post Final Chat]

[CaveMum]

Previous thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5594538-welcome-to-the-castle-when-your-fears-subside-and-the-shadows-still-remain-2026-celebrity-traitors-thread-7-tv-pace?page=1

This is a post-Final thread so if you haven’t seen it do not read on!

Finalists
Maya Jama (Traitor)
King Kenny (recruited Traitor)
James Blunt
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Romesh Ranganathan
Sebastian Croft

Murdered
Amol Rajan
Bella Ramsey
Rob Beckett
RossKemp
Miranda Hart
Sharon Rooney
Michael Sheen

Banished
Richard E Grant (Traitor)
Myha’la
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Professor Hannah Fry (recruited Traitor)
Joe Lycett
Jerry Hall
Joanne McNally
James Acaster (recruited Traitor)
Maya Jama (Traitor)

For these that want to keep up with Claudia’s outfits: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/lifestyle/a73628412/celebrity-traitors-claudia-winkleman-outfits/

How did Maya have a target on her back exactly?

It gets commented on when minority women get voted out, when they get left in, when they get murdered and indeed when they get to the final.

So if they stayed away it would get commented on.

I thought Romesh was brilliant. He seemed fair and reasoned things out well, and he took the game just seriously enough. I was sad Kenny got voted out but was pleased with the result. The final challenge was amazing. I usually find that bit of the programme a bit dull, but I loved this one - really exciting!

I felt so happy for Bash.

You could see the little "non sporty" boy in him looking absolutely elated, both when he waved from the water and when he was standing and should have been detonating. He was just celebrating his "victory" over his own misconceptions of himself, and I think had momentarily completely forgotten about the challenge, which was a lovely moment. To top it off with a win that night was a great day for him. I loved the final two episodes, and that was a big part of it.

I also thought Maya looked as though she loved that challenge, and I'm pleased she got to take part. My eyes nearly popped out out my head when she emerged from the helicopter. If James A taking the bullet early gave her a chance to take part in that, I think that was a good thing. And of course Leigh-Anne did brilliantly with it too.

Bash is a clever guy actually, with good instincts. He and Bella were a natural pairing.

I don't feel JA ruined the final. I thought it was gripping TV and had he not confessed then a faithful would have been banished and there would have been 3 traitors in the final. Why should he have left early? Up until the round table with Michael he was coping ok. Despite not wanting to be a traitor he still wanted to win the money for his charity. I personally thought JA played a blinder of a game being a reluctant traitor but still a faithful in his heart.

One of Romesh's great strengths was his great sense of humour. Loved it when he was laughing about the severed head challenge. But he often helped paper over a tense or stressful moment.

I missed Miranda's humour too.

It is all very well to say in theory that the game is "about lying and betrayal," but it would be very different being in there, knowing the other players, forming friendships and having to betray.

When you put it like that, my ex would be perfect at it. It's his modus operandi

Anyway...

Yes, exactly this.

Although I do think Maya may have gone out at that RT. But she was great in the final challenge and I think she would have been sorry to miss that.

I mean…… ND or not, they’re all there for the purpose of entertainment and being handsomely paid for the sacrifice.

He was just a poor choice and shouldn’t have been on it, really.

Is Maya in a huff now because she got dobbed in by Kenny at the end? Odd that she didn’t appear in the finale.

I thought she was a petulant baby about it. But I never warmed to her at all, other than admiring some of her outfits (the honey monster cardigan, the tumble dryer vent gilet, the very glorious green dress) and thinking she was incredibly pretty.

Regarding who’s going to gain from being in the show?

Bash - more high profile roles, maybe a presenting role in some format

Romesh - already well known so no gain

Miranda - Definitely will see more of her. Occasional ‘specials’?

Maya - more mainstream presenting role.

Kenny - definitely raised his profile, so we’ll see more of him also

REG - also raised his profile

Yes, there are some for whom it comes very naturally! Not sure it is an admirable trait.

It is the fact we all fear being betrayed that makes Traitors a sort of spine-tingling game. Cue all the Halloweeny styling.

You have to love REG.

It was a cock-up, but hey. It was entertainment.

Love listening to Bash and Romesh. Those two made the final for me with their absolute trust in each other. Loved what Romesh said last night that it wasn't just about catching traitors but finding a connection with someone. I hadn't heard of Bash before but absolutely love him. Being the youngest and able to convince Romesh of his convictions was amazing. I hope he goes far in life. I was quite tearful over the win purely because of the relationship between Bash and Romesh.

I loved how Maya played it, I suppose she’d just so blindingly beautiful that everyone automatically gives her a bit of a pass.

But I really enjoyed that when push came to shove she really went for it and managed to defend herself, make her points and so on - I think both her and LAP showed there’s a lot more to them than being pretty.

I started watching it mostly because of Michael Sheen and by the end of it I found him annoying and he always seemed to gang up on the women.

She was a bit petulant at first, but in fairness, I thought she got herself together again.

I think there was quite a while when she thought she was going to win, and I always wondered how the crunch time would go with her game style. I think she felt Kenny had stolen the win from her, but I'm not sure that is how it would have gone had she stayed.

I just think she is someone who tries to glide serenely but actually when it started going off course you could see the emotion. Emotion is not a sin by any means - but it does not always a good traitor make. I wondered if having to show no cracks was a skill Kenny has had to develop.

I'm glad Michael was murdered as otherwise I think the final would have been The Michael Show and he would have ignored Bash.

Acting like a petulant child, refusing to take part in tasks, spoiling the game for other participants because he didn’t get the part he wanted in a game called ‘The Traitors’ is indeed unexpected!

He should have walked out yet instead he was happy to stay to pocket a huge amount of money. He certainly won’t get more reality tv work despite his MN fans excusing his greed.

@CaptainMyCaptain I have no issue with him and find it funny many times, I just don’t think he was a right fit for this game - but I thought that ever since he didn’t even bother to take off the blindfold and help his fellow traitors on that task.

If anything, after that I thought he was a very good traitor and just in for himself regardless of what he tried to claim lol

I’m team James A. I’m happy to see different personality types on the show. It would be very dull if everyone just glided through.

Obviously we are all wise after the event, and we knew when he became a traitor, plus of course all we see is the edit. But it did seem to me, in retrospect, that he went from being quite naturally charismatic and energetic to being more poker faced, especially as people started to tell him how much they trusted him.

Agreed. Part of the game as a traitor is to avoid any heat and suspicion. Which she did right up until the end. Her biggest mistake was not getting rid of Michael.

Yes and I can’t remember who else Michael suspected after Maya and Leigh Anne. But Bash would not have been able to get his (correct) views across.

Look I liked Bash as much as anyone, and I disliked Michael being harsh on Sharon as much as anyone, BUT I'm not going to pretend he wasn't right. He had it pretty much sussed by the time he went out.

He might have talked over Bash, but suggesting Bash's views were right while Michael's weren't is just not a reflection of where things were at. Michael played a key part in pinning the Traitors down.

I think people also noticed he started to lick or bite his lip (or something; I didn't notice it).

So yes, he was cracking a bit too as the pressure mounted, culminating in rushing to end game which was his downfall. But he held out under pressure better than Maya - and much better than James A!