There’s a huge problem with Celebrity Traitors series 2 - and it’s bad for the BBC

There is no denying the Celebrity Traitors cast for this year has some huge names in the world of showbiz, but I have some concerns. Earlier today, the cast was unveiled, and it includes Bella Ramsey, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Richard E. Grant, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Myha'la, Sharon Rooney, James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Joanne McNally, Maya Jama, Ross Kemp, Amol Rajan, Professor Hannah Fry, James Blunt, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Sebastian Croft, Jerry Hall and King Kenny. Some huge actors and comedians have been thrown into the mix, and our eyeliner-loving presenting queen, Claudia Winkleman, is returning to host the beloved BBC programme. However, I am not convinced last year’s celebrity series can be topped.

The 2025 series of Celebrity Traitors has an impressive 100 per cent rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes, and it drew in around 15 million viewers per episode - eclipsing both Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One and ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

Call me biased, but Alan Carr was one of the reasons for the show’s triumph - and everyone was rooting for the 49-year-old comedy legend to win as a Traitor. Alan went from a swetty mess the moment he became a Traitor to the king of deceit as he managed to fool the entire cast and win the series.

The finale was genuinely television gold, and I loved every second, as well as having a look at X to see the live commentary from other viewers glued to their screens. It was such a shame for the series to be over, as every second of every episode was brilliant!

So when I found out a second series of Celebrity Traitors was being recommissioned, I instantly thought it was a big risk for the BBC, as it would be impossible to top Alan’s season.

The BBC has pulled out all the stops to ensure some big names are entering the famous Scottish castle as Traitors or Faithfuls, but everyone will compare the series to the 2025 season.

If no one warms to the cast as they did to people in last year's series, such as Ceila Imrie, Kate Garraway, Nick Mohammed and Stephen Fry, they will be quick to criticise the show or abort it altogether.

It must be nerve-racking for the 2026 cast, as surely they will want to play the game to the best of their ability while also protecting their public personas. If BBC viewers don’t like them, being part of Celebrity Traitors could be damaging to their reputations.

Celebrity Traitors returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.