Last updated: 12 September 2026. This page will be updated in place as the BBC confirms an official start date and as more details emerge — check back rather than searching for a newer post.
The Celebrity Traitors UK is coming back for a second series, and the BBC has assembled one of the most star-studded reality casts in recent memory to try to top a Season 1 finale that broke UK viewing records.
Twenty-one celebrities — spanning A-list actors, stand-up comedians, broadcasters and musicians — headed to the Scottish Highlands earlier this year to play the ultimate game of social deduction for up to £100,000 for charity.
Here’s the full cast, what we know about the start date, who the bookies fancy to win, and everything else worth knowing before Season 2 airs this autumn.
Quick Facts
| Host | Claudia Winkleman |
| Network | BBC One / BBC iPlayer |
| Episodes | 10 |
| Companion show | The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked (hosted by Ed Gamble) |
| Filming location | Ardross Castle, Scottish Highlands |
| Cast size | 21 celebrities |
| Prize | Up to £100,000 for a charity of the winner’s choice |
| Season 1 winner | Alan Carr (playing as a Traitor) |
| Start date | Autumn 2026 — not yet officially confirmed |
When Does Celebrity Traitors Season 2 Start?
The BBC has only confirmed that Season 2 will air “later this year” on BBC One and iPlayer — there’s no official premiere date yet.
That hasn’t stopped a date from leaking out, though. On 5 September 2026, The Rest Is Entertainment host Richard Osman appeared to accidentally reveal the launch date as 23 September, as first reported by The Guardian. Treat that as a strong rumour rather than a confirmed date until the BBC makes it official.
Here’s what we do know for certain:
- Filming took place at Ardross Castle in May 2026 and had wrapped by June 2026.
- A teaser trailer landed on 2 May 2026, alongside the cast announcement.
- A first-look trailer followed on 27 August 2026, with BBC content chief Kate Phillips promising “tears and surprises” at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Full Cast List
All 21 celebrities were confirmed by the BBC on 2 May 2026. Here’s the complete line-up:
| Name | Age | Notability |
|---|---|---|
| Amol Rajan | 42 | Journalist & broadcaster, University Challenge host |
| Bella Ramsey | 22 | Actor (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) |
| Hannah Fry | 42 | Broadcaster & mathematician |
| James Acaster | 41 | Comedian & presenter |
| James Blunt | 52 | Singer-songwriter |
| Jerry Hall | 69 | Model & actress |
| Joanne McNally | 42 | Stand-up comedian |
| Joe Lycett | 37 | Comedian & presenter |
| Julie Hesmondhalgh | 56 | Actress (Coronation Street) |
| King Kenny | 29 | Social media personality |
| Leigh-Anne Pinnock | 34 | Singer (Little Mix) |
| Maya Jama | 31 | Television presenter (Love Island) |
| Michael Sheen | 57 | Actor (Good Omens, Masters of Sex) |
| Miranda Hart | 53 | Actress & comedian |
| Myha’la | 30 | Actress (Industry) |
| Richard E. Grant | 69 | Actor (Saltburn) |
| Rob Beckett | 40 | Comedian & presenter |
| Romesh Ranganathan | 48 | Comedian & presenter |
| Ross Kemp | 61 | Actor & television presenter |
| Sebastian Croft | 24 | Actor & singer-songwriter |
| Sharon Rooney | 37 | Actress |
Some commentators have pointed out that, unlike Season 1 — which featured Tom Daley, Clare Balding and finalist Joe Marler — this year’s line-up doesn’t include a single sportsperson, leaning instead toward actors, comedians and broadcasters.
Meet the Cast
Comedians & presenters James Acaster is one of several stand-up comedians entering the castle this year, best remembered for one of the most quoted moments in Great Celebrity Bake Off history.
Joe Lycett brings reality-TV pedigree from Taskmaster and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Joanne McNally, the Irish comic behind My Therapist Ghosted Me, emerged as an early betting favourite.
Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan — real-life friends who co-host Rob & Romesh Vs together — both join the cast, setting up one of the season’s most-watched pre-existing dynamics. Miranda Hart rounds out the comedy contingent as one of the show’s most recognisable faces.
Actors Bella Ramsey, fresh off The Last of Us, is the youngest contestant this year at 22. Michael Sheen and Richard E. Grant bring serious dramatic pedigree, while Myha’la (Industry), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street), Sharon Rooney and Sebastian Croft round out a heavyweight acting bench. Ross Kemp, long known for both acting and documentary presenting, adds another familiar face.
Broadcasters & journalists Amol Rajan, who left BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier this year, hosts University Challenge and joins as one of the cast’s sharpest strategic minds on paper. Hannah Fry, broadcaster and mathematician, brings an analytical reputation that could make her a dangerous Traitor — or an equally dangerous Faithful.
Musicians & other famous faces Maya Jama, the Love Island host, entered as an early favourite in the betting markets. James Blunt and Leigh-Anne Pinnock (formerly of Little Mix) bring the music-world contingent, Jerry Hall adds decades of model-and-actress star power, and King Kenny is the cast’s social-media-native wildcard.
Who’s the Favourite to Win? Reading the Odds
Betting markets have moved around quite a bit since the cast was announced in May, but a clear pattern has held: comedians keep topping the odds, echoing how Season 1 played out. Alan Carr — a comedian — won the entire first series while playing as a Traitor, and bookmakers seem to be betting that history repeats itself.
At various points since the line-up was confirmed, Joanne McNally, Michael Sheen, Bella Ramsey, James Blunt and Maya Jama have all traded places at or near the top of the market. As of the most recent odds available, McNally and Sheen have shared joint-favourite status at 6/1 with some bookmakers, with Ramsey, Blunt and Jama close behind.
| Contestant | Approx. Odds (subject to change) |
|---|---|
| Joanne McNally | 6/1 (joint favourite) |
| Michael Sheen | 6/1–7/1 (joint favourite) |
| James Blunt | 13/2 |
| Bella Ramsey | 7/1 |
| Maya Jama | 7/1–8/1 |
| James Acaster | 9/1 |
| Joe Lycett | 9/1 |
| Julie Hesmondhalgh | 9/1 |
| Sharon Rooney | 20/1 |
| Amol Rajan | 20/1 |
| King Kenny | 25/1 (outsider) |
Odds fluctuate frequently ahead of launch and will move further once episodes start airing — treat these as a snapshot rather than a fixed forecast.
There’s also a separate market on which team wins: early pricing gives the Faithfuls a slight edge at 8/11 to avenge Season 1, where the Traitors ultimately triumphed via Alan Carr.
Pre-Existing Relationships & Alliance Watch
One dynamic worth tracking from day one: Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are close friends outside the show, having co-hosted Rob & Romesh Vs together for years. Going into a game built on secrecy and betrayal, an existing friendship like this could become either a powerful early alliance or one of the season’s most dramatic fractures — it’s exactly the kind of pre-existing bond that’s turned into must-watch television in past Traitors seasons.
Where Is Celebrity Traitors Filmed?
Season 2 was filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, the same location used for Season 1. During filming, the cast reportedly stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott near Inverness Airport — a detail that’s leaked out via a handful of behind-the-scenes reports.
Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked
The companion after-show, The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, is also returning for Season 2, once again hosted by Ed Gamble. Expect it to follow the same format as before — a lighter, reaction-driven companion piece that airs alongside the main series and digs into whatever just happened at the Round Table.
How to Watch in the US?
UK viewers can catch Season 2 on BBC One and iPlayer. In the US, Peacock carried Season 1 after a delay following its UK broadcast. A Season 2 US release date hasn’t been announced yet — this section will be updated as soon as Peacock confirms its plans.