The first ever The Celebrity Traitors has been pure mayhem throughout the series, with each of the famous faces bringing their own unique brand of entertainment to the game.
While there were initial fears that this version of The Traitors would not work as well as its civilian counterpart, the celebrities have relished the challenge – and the constant chaos involved is something the original format should take note of.
Although the previous three seasons have had their share of dramas and disasters, nothing could have prepared us for the level of delight we’d have in watching Alan Carr plotting murder with zero subtlety, Jonathan Ross stirring the pot and the increasingly iconic Celia Imrie allowing us to get to know her in all her glory.
Even the daily missions, arguably the least popular element, have been far more engaging for viewers, all thanks to these popular TV personalities and their unpredictable reactions.
From Celia breaking wind and shrieking down a well (only one of which was part of the task at hand), to Nick deliberately sabotaging the life-size chess round and everyone using strikingly, and sometimes hilariously different, methods to make it across that wobbly bridge, there’s been a healthy dose of farce that The Traitors could benefit from.
Of course, it’s all about building up the prize money, and the celebrities are just as committed to this as they are to playing the game. But they’re also not taking themselves too seriously, and it’s this constant disarray that has made the show such an unmissable hit, as the familiarity within the group gives way to one-liners that have gifted us with belly laugh after belly laugh.
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Alan branding Jonathan a liar for praising his efforts on the bridge and saying he would have murdered Kate in plain sight had she dropped the sack of money were particular highlights, and we can’t quite imagine the non-celebrities having the nerve to go in on each other quite so harshly.
Understandably, after all, ordinary contestants are usually unknown to each other, and looking at much higher stakes amid life-changing plans for the cash waiting at the end of the line. But that doesn’t mean The Traitors can’t learn from these celebrities and embrace a more laid-back approach in future seasons, letting things take a more natural course instead of preparing their game faces.
Speaking of which, rather than drawing from Traitor history and either staying under the radar or making himself a leader, Alan has, to date, sailed through to the penultimate episode on a wing and a prayer – that is, mostly via wit and giggles – and he’s defied all expectations.
Yes, he’s taken to backstabbing of late, but it’s when Alan is being his gleeful self that the anarchy is in full force, as demonstrated in every moment he’s had to stifle his amusement when a celebrity doesn’t arrive for breakfast.
He also tellingly forgot that he had a shield, causing a despairing Joe to hold his head in his hands and declare he’d officially given up for the night – yet Alan still remained in the game!
Just imagine the next generation of traitors letting their guards down in a similar (though perhaps less obvious) way, even as they contain their identities.
When series three’s newbie traitor Freddie ruined his chances by falsely claiming he’d been informed Leanne won a shield, it proved that human error is a big part of this show’s appeal, showing how one seemingly small slip of the tongue can change everything and affect the entire pace of what’s to come – and we can’t help wanting more of it.
Blunders like Alan’s, and that of Clare who accidentally messed up the first task back in episode one, have been much more commonplace than among the standard Traitors and Faithfuls, and it’s that relatable edge that the latter are missing.
A lack of mistakes may make The Traitors better contestants, but when it comes to entertainment, brilliantly bonkers is what we crave and it’s certainly what’s transpired here.
So, what have we learned from The Celebrity Traitors? That a little less discipline and a little more disorder is always welcome. And – just an idea – what if the regular Traitors contestants all knew each other from real life too...?
The Celebrity Traitors is on BBC1 next tonight, Thu 30 Oct, at 9pm and on iPlayer afterwards.
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