Celebrity Traitors 2025 live: Countdown to first episode as all-star cast battles for charity prize – UK Times

As the celebrity series of the popular reality show kicks off, Antonia Windsor reveals how you can play your own version of the game – complete with a sprawling country house

The Prince of Wales and his family are “very much looking forward” to watching The Celebrity Traitors, which is going to be a “big treat” for them, he told TV executive Stephen Lambert as he was honoured at Windsor Castle.

Lambert, the founder and chief executive of Studio Lambert – the production company behind The Traitors, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on Wednesday.

Lambert, 66, said: “My award is for services to television, and we started talking about Celebrity Traitors, which launches tonight.

“He said he and the family were very much looking forward to watching it. It was going to be a big treat for them and probably for the nation, he expected.

“And I told him about the fact that our celebrities have entered into the game with great seriousness.

“So, they’re not just doing it because it’s a chance for them to be celebrities on television, but because they actually love the game, but also because they are the talented people they are, so they’re also very funny, and I think it’s extremely entertaining television.”

Balding told The Sun of the process: “Obviously I knew quite a lot of them before I went in, but the friendships you had before go out the window.”

She admitted: “That, for me, is very challenging because I like to be friends with everybody. It’s brutal, but I think I’m glad I did it. It will make good television and there are some really strong moments.”

When speaking to the BBC ahead of the show’s launch, former QI host and Blackadder star Fry was asked if he was looking forward to the missions, which typically tend to be physically demanding group activities based around the lake or the woods at the show’s filming location in the Scottish highlands.

“It’s very hard to say,” the 68-year-old said. “Some of them may be tedious, like being back at school, forced into compulsory physical education.”

He added: “It will be interesting to see if we can work together. I’m sure we’ll get very excited if we manage to accomplish something. There are players who are strong and sporty, who will be good at strong sporty things, and then those of us who are less strong and sporty will have to try and hope that we can use our wits in some way.”

As well as competing for the £100,000 charity prize money the celebrities will also be paid for their appearances.

The BBC confirmed that each will receive an appearance fee with The Rest is Entertainment podcast reporting that it is £40,000 each.

Speaking at a special Q&A screening of the new celebrity edition, Claudia Winkleman said the show’s nerve-wracking tension can even get the better of her.

Winkleman said that it is “incredibly tense” when selecting who the traitors will be, while circling the show’s iconic roundtable.

“The mood automatically changes the minute you walk into that room and I’m so nervous that anybody might hear me,” she said, before revealing a potentially devastating mistake she almost made during the show’s debut.

“In series one, Wilf was wearing a jacket and I was so worried it was going to make a noise that I was almost sick, which wouldn’t have worked on any level,” she joked.

Winkleman’s style became a huge talking point on previous instalments of the series, with her knitwear, coats, and even a kilt receiving a lot of attention from viewers.

However, the 53-year-old presenter has had to up the ante to keep up with this series’s cohort of celebrities, who are used to getting glam on the red carpet.

Lydia Spencer-Elliot has more on the costume changes below:

One of the most entertaining parts of Traitors is its gripping psychological dive into trust and deception.

The show’s widespread appeal stems from its fascinating examination of how we judge character, posing critical questions about whether outward behaviour can truly reveal honesty or deceit.

To unpick these intricate dynamics, The Independent consulted leading psychology lecturers.

They shed light on the profound complexities of truthfulness, offering invaluable insights for any ‘faithful’ hoping to unmask a ‘traitor’ lurking within their ranks.

In a 40-second clip, the 53-year-old can instructs the celebrities on the rules of the show. She cautioned: “This game doesn’t care who you are. In here your glamorous lives count for nothing.”

The line-up of stars, which includes Alan Carr, Tom Daley and Kate Garraway, all looked tense as Winkleman said: “Most of you will be murdered. Sorry about that.”

If you’re watching The Celebrity Traitors online, head to BBC iPlayer, where you can stream BBC One live. The show will also be available on BBC iPlayer to catch up on after it’s aired each night.

The first episode of The Celebrity Traitors airs on Wednesday 8 October at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Unlike with previous seasons of the show, when three episodes aired per week, The Celebrities Traitors will only show two episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, this year’s first episode will be a hefty 70 minutes long.

After the series’ initial episode, instalments will last an hour, with episode two set to air at 9pm on Thursday 9 October.

My colleague Lydia Spencer-Elliot has all the information you’ll need for the rest of the series in the article below: