Claudia Winkleman stands at the front of a small, spooky church, her eyes blacked out with too much eyeliner and an oversized white ruff taking over her neck. “A moment of silence,” she booms, “for the celebrities gathered today.” And just like that, a new series of The Celebrity Traitors is almost upon us.
The BBC has given us a sneak peek at the upcoming series, due on our screens in autumn – and it’s got me practically vibrating with excitement. Sat in front of Winkleman are some of the most recognisable faces in British entertainment – Miranda Hart, Ross Kemp, Richard E Grant, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen – each of their faces struck with bemused anxiety. Some, like The Last of Us actor Bella Ramsey, can’t hide the thrill of being on The Celebrity Traitors (ie the best programme on television) from their faces.
“Thoughts and prayers,” continues the host, before exiting and whispering directly to us: “Who doesn’t love a dramatic exit?”
If you didn’t know any better, the dramatics of this 30-second clip would have you thinking that the partaking celebrities’ lives really were in danger. That one – or two, or three! – of them would actually be murdering the others in the dead of night. And it sounds like they felt the same – Ed Havard, the BBC’s director of entertainment, has said that the “paranoia” in the upcoming celebrity series is “off the scale”.
