Fans Outraged as "Celebrity Traitors" Ends on Cliffhanger
Viewers express frustration with the BBC show's decision to cut to credits before a banishment reveal.
Millions of viewers watching "Celebrity Traitors" were left feeling "stabbed in the back" after the BBC cut to credits before host Claudia Winkleman could reveal which contestant King Kenny had banished. The cliffhanger ending has been described as "pointless" by fans who now face a six-day wait to learn the fate of either Irish comedian Joanne McNally or Scottish actress Sharon Rooney.
In the episode, four contestants backed Rooney, and three supported McNally, leaving Kenny, 29, with the deciding double vote. However, as Winkleman asked him to reveal his choice, the credits rolled, leaving the outcome uncertain. This marks the second consecutive week the show has ended on a crucial cliffhanger.
Last week, the program cut away as Traitors Maya Jama and James Acaster attempted to make Ross Kemp or Jerry Hall yawn after being exposed to a "sleeping powder." Viewers learned the following week that Kemp had been the one murdered.
Fans have criticized the show's editing, suggesting that the suspense is becoming artificial. One viewer commented that the editors seem to be "trying to wring two episodes out of every big moment." Another pointed out that the show's attempt to preserve mystery was undermined when viewers deduced the identity of the previous week's victim based on the direction Kenny's pen appeared to move on his scroll, a theory later confirmed.
Despite the criticisms, "Celebrity Traitors" continues to draw a significant audience. Thursday's episode attracted 10.03 million viewers, far surpassing other BBC programs.
The business behind Ardross Castle, the 19th-century estate used as the show's setting in the Scottish Highlands, reportedly owes nearly £2.6 million to a mystery company. Companies House documents indicate that Ardross Castle Enterprises Ltd is £2 million in the red. The debt is largely due to a loan from Alness Ltd, which has deferred repayment. The castle and its 100-acre estate are 95 percent owned by Frontex Investments, an offshore company based in the Turks and Caicos Islands, with the remaining 5 percent owned by Donald McTaggart, whose family purchased the castle in 1983. While the business faces financial challenges, its debt has reportedly decreased by almost half a million pounds in the 12 months leading up to March 2025, coinciding with the show's airing.