From tense roundtables to devious betrayals, The Celebrity Traitors is the best gameshow on TV. Season two is in full flow and we're all still wondering how Richard E. Grant managed to fumble his role as a Traitor so spectacularly, but it turns out there are lots of rules for the cast to remember.
The Celebrity Traitors follows the same format as the regular hit show, sending a handful of celebrities to the Scottish Highlands to play the ‘ultimate game of deception.’ With a game so complex, it’s no surprise there are plenty of rules for the cast to follow. From supervised gym breaks to tight alcohol budgets, here are the rules handed to The Traitors contestants before they decide to sign on (and no, the celebrities don't get special treatment).
Contestants can't research players
The biggest rule on the BBC show is that contestants aren’t allowed to look up their fellow players. This is to avoid any preconceptions or extra knowledge.
Given The Celebrity Traitors is full of famous faces, this rule is a tad more difficult to follow than on the regular show. Our celebrities do all somewhat know of each other, with several of them (such as Rob and Romesh or Richard and Jerry Hall) actually being close friends. However, they aren’t allowed to discuss joining the show with anyone ahead of time, and the show being pre-recorded also helps to keep contestants initially under wraps.
Opening up about the US version of the show, a casting director shared, ‘Because it’s a game, you don’t want them to be able to research each other or talk to each other or form alliances before.’
No talking about the game off camera
When the cameras are rolling, it’s fair game to talk about all things Traitors – but it’s a different story when filming is done.
The team works hard to keep secret gossip sessions at a minimum, with US contestant Dan Gheesling revealing, '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.’
Contestants have a two-drink limit
We often see alcohol on our screens (fizzy rosé, anyone?), but it’s not a free for all. Contestants on The Traitors have a strict alcohol allowance to avoid any intoxication. Opening up about the show’s on-set rules, Ruth Codd shared, ‘They’re very strict on alcohol. It’s not boozy at all. You’re allowed two drinks a night.’
Alongside drunk players being an all-round liability, there’s also the chance they could reveal secrets or act rashly. They do say drunk minds speak sober thoughts…
Smoking and vaping must be supervised
The Traitors hasn’t banned the use of cigarettes or nicotine products, however celebs can’t be left alone while they’re smoking or vaping. Previous contestant Ruth appeared to confirm this during an interview with The Sunday Times, where she shared that contestants have to be ‘chaperoned’ when it comes to activities such as using the gym, going for a walk, or having a cigarette.
Phones are taken away (as are TV remotes)
Seeing as contestants aren’t allowed to look each other up or talk about the game outside of filming hours, it makes total sense that the celebs are expected to hand over their phones.
Comedian Alan Carr opened up about how much he loved being social media free, saying on his podcast, ‘It was like rehab. It’s cheaper than rehab! They took my phone away, they took my laptop. When I got the phone back, I was like, ‘Shit.’ I get a lot of spam but I was like… 2000 emails?’
However, there is a production phone available for an occasional chaperoned phone call home.
On a more surprising note, it’s also been reported that TV remotes are banned. This might come after some of the US celebs learnt how to contact people via buttons...
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania revealed, ‘I heard Kate Chastain learned how to talk to her friends with the clicker and so they took it away from everyone.’ Desperate times call for desperate measures!
Contestants can't sleep in the castle
The show is filmed at Ardross castle, however contestants don't actually sleep there. Instead, they spend the night at a hotel near Inverness.
We’d dreamed of some ghost hunting walks around the 19th century castle too, but that's another one off the cards. Contestants aren’t given free roam of the castle even during the day, with one producer previously sharing that only certain parts of the 170 year old estate are set up for the show.
The Traitors must take an oath
When it comes to rules, there’s several that our sworn Traitors must follow after taking their oath.
Firstly, Traitors cannot reveal that they’re a Traitor. While they’re allowed to accuse their fellow Traitors at roundtables, they aren’t allowed to reveal their own identity in the process. Executive producer Mike Cotton told Variety, ‘The rules say that they can, at the roundtable, accuse a fellow Traitor of being a Traitor, but only from the guise of being a Faithful themselves. What they could never do is say, ‘I know that he’s a Traitor because I’m one as well’, or, ‘Because I’ve been to the turret.’ They have to be acting Faithful when they accuse another Traitor.’
Likewise, they must keep the identity of other Traitors secret. Sometimes Traitors turn against each other at roundtables – and as tempting as it may be to expose your fellow Traitors in your exit speech, that’s simply not allowed.
Contestants take a personality test
Ever wondered how the Traitors are picked? The choice isn’t entirely at host Claudia Winkleman's discretion.
According to several insiders, contestants undertake personality tests ahead of appearing on the show. These are to look for attributes that might make someone a good liar or particularly deceptive, and drop some hints at who could potentially be a good fit as a Traitor on the show.
Charlotte Roberts is a writer at Grazia UK, specialising in SEO. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment - from film review roundups to cast explainers.