The Traitors has well and truly established itself as an unmissable highlight of the year but will broadcasting legend Clare Balding join the celebrity line-up?
The Traitors trailer
Clare Balding has shared her fondness for The Traitors amidst rumours that she may participate in the UK’s first celebrity version.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the BBC had green lit a star-studded edition of the popular game show, which quickly gained popularity by following a group of individuals labelled either as Faithful or Traitor.
Among the Faithfuls are several Traitors aiming to eliminate their counterparts to claim the cash prize. The second series, which aired in January this year, saw Traitor Harry Clark emerge victorious.
Speculation is rife about the celebrities who will be heading to the Scottish castle, with Clare’s name being mentioned alongside Paloma Faith, Stephen Fry, Robert Preston, Daisy May Cooper and Tom Daley.
During her appearance on Loose Women on Friday (November 1), the panelists Charlene White, Frankie Bridge, Nadia Sawalha and Judi Love probed the broadcaster about the rumours.
Host Charlene clarified that she wouldn’t ask Clare if she was joining the show, but instead asked the Celebrity Gogglebox star if she was a fan. Clare responded: “I love the show. Don’t you? It’s so interesting.”
The programme has already seen two series in the US – one featuring both celebrities and members of the public, and a second exclusively featuring celebrities, reports the Mirror.
This included former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow and Love Island star Ekin-Su Culculoglu.
Both the American series were filmed at the same location as the UK show. The UK’s version of The Traitors made a splash in its debut year of 2022, and the finale of its second series, which aired in January 2024, attracted a viewership close to seven million.
In its stride, the series has snatched up several accolades, including a coveted TV Bafta, a National Television Award and an award from the Royal Television Society.
BBC’s head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight, spoke out with enthusiasm: “The Traitors has well and truly established itself as an unmissable highlight of the year and the news of a fourth outing, alongside a brand new celebrity version coming to the BBC, will take the series to a whole new level.”
She went on to add, “It will once again be fascinating for our audiences to see who’ll outwit, outplay, and outlast. Let the mind games begin!”.
Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV at 12.30pm
