The regular version of The Traitors (2022) is so gripping because it’s full of ordinary people. People who don’t have media training, PR experience, or a safety net. They’re emotional, awkward, and messy, which is what makes it brilliant.
The celebrity version doesn’t have that same edge. No one’s trying to launch a social media career or pay off a debt. They already have jobs, money, and reputations. And because they’re used to cameras, they know exactly what makes 'good TV'.
It does mean that the vibe is funnier and lighter, which works in some ways, but it also loses that sense of chaos and danger that makes the original seasons so compelling and iconic. The celebs are more invested than I expected them to be, but there is a lot less tension.
You can see a kind of secret hierarchy forming...
What’s interesting about this version is how fame warps the social dynamics. Most of them have already heard of each other, or at least built up ideas in their minds. So from the start, it’s not just about gut instinct, but rather about preconceived notions. You can see a kind of secret hierarchy forming: who’s respected and listened to, and who gets dismissed. You can tell that they’re not judging strangers, but they’re judging their peers, which changes the dynamic a bit.
There’s even a bit of reverse snobbery creeping in. The moment someone’s described as clever or successful, they’re suddenly branded as suspicious. “Oh, he’s an academic, so he must be a traitor.” Or, “She’s clever, so she must be hiding something.” Instead of judging each other’s behaviour in the game, they’re judging based on status.
...the celebrities are trying to outthink the format and are trying to play producer.
Sometimes it does feel as if it’s as if they can’t switch their ‘TV brain’ off to actually play the game. A common phrase that keeps popping up is “you’d make a great traitor,” but that’s literally not how you play the game! It’s as if the celebrities are trying to outthink the format and are trying to play producer.
One thing that The Traitors, both the normal and celebrity version, consistently exposes is how bias operates when people have no real evidence to go on. People of colour often find themselves under suspicion for no real reason. When you strip everything away and all people have are ‘vibes,' their unconscious biases evidently come to the surface. The show becomes a mirror to society and reflects how race, class, and familiarity influence people’s decisions, even when they don’t realise it.
The Celebrity Traitors is funny, well-made, and full of big personalities, but at times, it feels more like a performance of the game than the game itself. It still isn’t bad TV and is still funny and gripping, but it does make it different.
Still, Claudia Winkleman remains an absolute icon. She anchors the show in a really clever way; she never overdoes it or tries to be part of the show, rather she just lets everything unfold.
Overall, The Celebrity Traitors is still great fun, but it’s also proof that the show works best when the people inside the castle aren’t performing for the camera.