Well, that was flabbergasting… Let’s talk the Celebrity Traitors final!

** This review contains spoilers and also refers to seasons 2 and 3. **

The first celebrities edition of the much loved series The Traitors has proved a major success, with millions of viewers tuning in each week to find out the latest murder victims and banishments. At first, I was a little unsure about the prospect of a celebrity spin off – one of the things that worked so well for the series was its casting of ordinary people. But my concerns were soon put to rest thanks to a promising line up with the likes of Paloma Faith, Stephen Fry and Niko Omilana, to name just a few. And it’s fair to say it did not disappoint…

On the 8th of October, episode one graced our screens, introducing us to our traitors: TV presenter Jonathan Ross, singer Cat Burns and of course, comedian Alan Carr. From the get-go, Alan’s uncontrollable smirk after being selected whilst still being blindfolded suggested we were in for some great TV. And, at this point – spoiler alert – if you’d told me that Alan Carr would then go on to win the show, I would not have believed you. Hilariously, throughout the series, Alan is pictured laughing when faithfuls are banished, he gets caught forgetting he has a shield, and when asked to say he’s a faithful, he gets the giggles. All of this points towards him being a traitor… And yet he gets away with it! I went into watching the final rooting for the faithfuls – finally! They seem to be onto something! But, to be honest, I kind of love how Alan Carr, of all people, pulls through and somehow manages to win.

Presented by a caped Claudia Winkleman in the Scottish Highlands surrounded by stag heads with fringes, this show certainly has its iconic features. From misspelt names on chalkboards to the use of the word “yourself” at the round table, viewers can find familiarity amongst the different seasons. Each series has its own iconic moments and the celebrity spin-off has proved no different. From Kate Garraway being flabbergasted spiking Tom Daley’s suspicions, to Celia Imrie farting out of fear, to Joe Marler’s unforgiving bluntness, it has been quite the season. It’s fair to say the faithfuls were pretty useless this season, leaving their catching of a traitor so late in the game that there wasn’t even time for a recruitment. As a viewer, this was a little frustrating at times (this is not to say it’s easy – I too would have had no idea). But in the last two episodes, something clicked for Joe Marler, giving us a glimpse of hope for a faithful win, and easing my frustrations.

I think I’ve realised that for me, a satisfying end to a season of The Traitors simply lies in whether a contestant figures it out or not. I loved series 2 where Jaz, or Jazatha Christie as he became known as, worked it all out. In contrast, I found the ending of season 3 less satisfying as faithfuls carried on voting out other faithfuls, essentially playing badly but being rewarded with a bigger share of the prize pot. And so, with this season: Joe Marler working it out, coupled with the last-minute jaw-dropping betrayal of Nick Mohammed, leading to the unexpected winner of Alan Carr, in my opinion, all made for a very satisfying ending.

Overall, I think the celebrity format of the show worked really well. We saw the traitors and the faithfuls work more as teams, as with the non-celebrity seasons, the game inevitably becomes more of an individual game. I have to say it felt a little more fun and less stressful than Season 3. Of course, it makes sense – there’s not really anything at stake for the celebrities. This is not to say I prefer the celebrity format – I will be seated with my popcorn the next time Claudia graces our screens to introduce us to a new cast of non-celebrity traitors and faithfuls. And I’m sure we will be kept on our toes again, as one thing this show does very well is providing twists and turns every step of the way.

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