Celebrity Traitors rules explained: How Traitors and Faithfuls are chosen
Celebrity Traitors is back on the BBC this autumn with a fresh cohort of famous faces willing to risk it all for charity. But have you ever wondered exactly how the contestants are chosen and what the Celebrity Traitors rules are?
You would be forgiven for thinking it was up to host Claudia Winkleman— who is fronting the new Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides companion programme— as she speaks to the players on-screen about their motives and desired Faithful or Traitor roles.
And while she plays her part, it’s really the Celebrity Traitors producers who decide exactly who will end up in the infamous Scottish Traitors turret at the end of night one.
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Existing relationships with fellow contestants, group dynamics, and willingness to engage in sneaky behaviour are all taken into account.
Only after each contestant is evaluated will Claudia be instructed to tap the chosen Traitors during the first round table. Season two of The Celebrity Traitors will launch on Thursday 1 October, alongside BBC’s Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides.
The programme is a special behind-the-scenes companion to show how the host helps to select the Traitors for The Celebrity Traitors series two. Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides drops on BBC iPlayer right after the series opener on BBC One on 1 October.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the show and its companion, including exactly how are Celebrity Traitors chosen and the rules they must comply with.
How are contestants chosen for Celebrity Traitors?
Lewis Thurlow, the show’s executive producer, told The Times that people with relationships outside of the house - like last year’s contestants Claire Balding and Tom Daly - are more likely to get picked up than others.
However, anyone willing to ‘throw themselves into the game’ and go without ‘the usual comforts, luxuries and glam-squads’ is often on the casting team’s ‘yes’ list.
Each celebrity rocks up to the Traitors’ castle with no idea who their fellow players will be, and whether they will end up a Traitor or a Faithful until the end of the first day.
Are celebrities invited or can they apply?
The BBC has never officially stated whether celebrities are invited or apply to be part of the show.
However, it’s assumed that Celebrity Traitors rules in terms of casting differ from the public application route used for the civilian programme.
The latter usually consists of an online application form and a short video showcasing your personality, game plan, and reason for playing.
Various remote screening steps and physical and medical evaluations follow, according to reports.
What does the casting team look for?
Contrasting personalities, a willingness to deceive others and take risks, and people from diverse backgrounds are usually approved for play, according to interviews.
“We want people there for the ‘right reasons’,” Thurlow said. “Their passion comes through on screen; we want the audience to watch the celebrities and think ‘, they’re really into this’. They’re all fans of the show for different reasons,” he revealed.
So, how are the Celebrity Traitors selected? They just need to be famous and willing to get stuck in it, it seems.
Joe Lycett and Bella Ramsay are included in this year's cast (BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge)
How are the Traitors and Faithfuls chosen?
In most cases, every contestant arrives at the Scottish Traitors’ castle for the first time as a Faithful.
A get-to-know period ensues before Claudia Winkleman conducts individual interviews with each star to decide whether they should be a Traitor or remain a Faithful.
It’s one of the Celebrity Traitors’ rules that this interview is conducted without any other contestants present.
All celebrities will later be blindfolded at the first round table; Claudia Winkleman will tap celebrities successfully cast as Traitors.
Anyone who is not touched by the 54-year-old will remain in their role as Faithful unless told otherwise.
Does Claudia Winkleman choose the Traitors?
When asked, the Strictly Come Dancing host said no: she doesn’t get to pick who the Traitors are.
“It's not me that chooses. I do those chats with them, and they're much longer than what you see on telly.
“Lots of people were like, 'No, I want to be a Faithful,' and then I go to a room with the bosses, and we work it out together,” she confessed.
So next time someone asks: ‘Does Claudia choose the Traitors?’ you can hit them with that tidbit.
Can contestants ask to become a Traitor?
You’re aware of the phrase ‘don’t ask, don’t get’, right? Well, it’s the same with Celebrity Traitors.
Claudia previously revealed that comedian Alan Carr said he wanted to be a Traitor, and producers were compelled to seal his fate.
If he hasn’t asked, then he may have been cast as a Faithful, changing the entire trajectory of the game.
But remember, it’s not in the Celebrity Traitors rules for you to get what you ask for.
A celebrity wanting to be a Traitor doesn’t necessarily mean they will be cast in the role.
What are the main Celebrity Traitors rules?
The Celebrity Traitors is a charitable competition.
Famous faces are split into Faithfuls, who work together to collect money for charity, and secret saboteurs known as Traitors.
The latter plot and scheme to eliminate (’murder’) their opponents to steal the money for themselves. Faithfuls must collaborate to ‘banish’ all Traitors to win the game.
What is the difference between murder and banishment?
The Traitors will gather in the turret at the end of each day to privately decide who they want to permanently ‘murder’ and remove from the game.
The Celebrity Traitor murder rules state that their victim will be informed via private letter that they have been ‘murdered’.
This means they are eliminated, cannot return to the castle, and cannot tell anyone that they have been murdered.
Remaining contestants will find out who has been ‘murdered’ at breakfast the following day.
That same evening, Faithfuls and Traitors will gather at the round table to vote off or ‘banish’ whoever they believe is a Traitor.
The usual Celebrity Traitors banishment rules permit the person being ‘banished’ to reveal whether they were a Faithful or a Traitor…as long as no season-specific rules are in place.
It’s important to note that Traitors can not be murdered, but they can be banished.
How do recruitment and seduction work?
Sometimes Claudia offers Traitors the chance to recruit from the pool of Faithfuls in lieu of committing murder.
The Traitors can decline or write a letter of seduction, which will be delivered privately to the Faithful of their choice.
A Faithful can usually accept or decline the invitation of their own free will, but sometimes ultimatums are applicable.
Faithfuls who accept the invitation renounce their moniker and are given an iconic cloak by Claudia, later meeting up with their seducers in the turret.
It’s not part of the Celebrity Traitors’ rules for failed recruits to keep the process to themselves.
What do shields protect contestants from?
The main purpose of shields in The Traitors is to protect holders from being murdered that evening. They do not protect the contestant from being banished at the round table.
Contestants can usually acquire shields during daily challenges, often at the risk of their winnings and reputation.
Previous seasons have seen shield-bearing players both announcing and concealing their possession—and sometimes, their honesty or deception has proved detrimental.
What rules do Celebrity Traitors follow off camera?
Production restrictions are rife when it comes to filming both the celebrity and civilian versions of The Traitors.
Some of the most well-known Celebrity Traitors rules include not sleeping in the castle, refraining from promoting personal brands, and having a one-drink limit, according to former Love Island contestant Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.
Can contestants use phones, watches or the internet?
Former Traitors UK contestant Theo Mayne previously revealed that producers take mobile phones away from cast members ‘immediately’.
They are handed a Nokia phone as a replacement to contact production if they need anything.
Marie Claire reported that TV remotes are banned and that competitors cannot access the internet or use social media for the duration of the game.
Personal watches are also against the Celebrity Traitors rules, and all clocks are removed from the castle, as confirmed by season two winner Harry Clark.
Can Traitors and Faithfuls speak away from the cameras?
Celebrity Traitors’ off-camera rules include not speaking about the game away from the cameras, as confirmed by former show stars Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan.
“You're not supposed to talk about the game when the mics aren't ready or the cameras aren't on, because if we say something that's important and it's not on camera, they can't use it on the show,” Dan Gheesling told Business Insider in 2024.
How do you win Celebrity Traitors?
The winner(s) of Celebrity Traitors 2026 will be those who best convince others they are 100 percent Faithful, whether they are or not. For Traitors, the Faithful facade starts the moment they are tapped as part of Claudia’s team of Traitors on the first evening of the game.
They are likely to triumph if they keep up appearances during missions, meals, downtime, and banishments; show loyalty in the turret; and turn the Faithful against each other at the round table without suspicion.
Traitors will be crowned champions if they finish the game following the conclusion of the Fire of Truth, as Harry Clark did in Traitors UK season two.
True Faithfuls whose motives become unquestionable may also win Celebrity Traitors by rooting out their opponents and building strong alliances both inside and outside of the castle walls.
Working hard to build the prize pot, using intuition during private chats, and knowing the value of shields will help the Faithful win the game.
Faithfuls will reign victorious by banishing all Traitors throughout the round tables and correctly guessing that none remain in the endgame.
How is the prize fund built?
The only way for Celebrity Traitors prize money to be accrued is through daily missions. These can include physical group and mental individual tasks staged outdoors or in the castle grounds.
The maximum Celebrity Traitors season two prize pot is £100,000, as confirmed by the BBC. However, unlike the civilian version, celebrities don’t win the cash themselves: they play for charity.
Last year’s winner, Alan Carr, donated his entire £87,500 prize to Neuroblastoma UK, a charity supporting children and families affected by a rare childhood cancer.
What happens at the Fire of Truth?
As per the Celebrity Traitors rules, the game will only end with the Fire of Truth: the last play where contestants vote continuously until everyone in their company is deemed a Faithful. Red fire means a competitor believes a Traitor remains in the game. Further banishments will occur until everyone around the fire votes green to end the game.
Identities aren’t revealed at this stage - so if you vote a Faithful out as a Traitor, you won’t know about it until it’s too late.
If only Faithfuls remain around the fire, then Claudia will declare them winners. The prize pot is then shared equally among those who remain.
If any Traitors remain, then they will steal all the charity money from the Faithful and split it between themselves.
Topics: Entertainment, TV, The Traitors
Ella Scott