Were you listening carefully? We think comedian James Acaster has just given away a massive clue as to how this year's traitors plan to safely make it all the way to the final. ‘The Chaos Murder Theory’: We’ve worked out how Celebrity Traitors’ random murders will turn Faithfuls on each other.
In the most recent episode, following a spooky game of hide and seek, the traitors James Acaster, Professor Hannah Fry and presenter Maya Jama murdered beloved cheeky chappy comedian Rob Beckett. A decision that threw the castle into disarray. Rob was a relatively passive participant in the game. Commonly believed to be a given faithful, he didn't seem to have any hot takes or a very loud voice at the round tables. So what did these traitors have to benefit by killing him? We think, quite a lot actually.
This is how the ‘Chaos Murder Theory’ is going to ensure the faithful will start to turn on each other and keep the traitors nice and comfortable - and who we think could be their next random victims.
What is ‘The Chaos Murder Theory’?
The theory was mentioned directly by traitor James Acaster. In a private straight to camera VT he, said following the death of Rob being revealed to the rest of the castle, ‘This is a classic chaos murder. This is a bunch of faithfuls who read into everything…And with this murder there’s no answer, and they won’t suspect it’s us,’ laying out the theory in black and white.
Essentially the tactic is that the traitors don’t need to murder the most suspicious or powerful faithfuls - which is what they tend to usually do. They can do more damage by choosing apparently random victims: players who aren’t driving the accusations, don’t seem like an obvious threat and whose deaths don’t point neatly towards anyone else. Rob Beckett’s murder fits the pattern. He wasn’t leading the hunt for traitors, so his exit gave the faithful no clear explanation to follow.
That uncertainty is the point. With no obvious connection between the victim and a particular suspect, the faithful start trying to build a story from scraps. This time, a lot of names came up at the round table, rather than suspicion settling on just two or three players as it usually does. Even though they did manage to identify traitor Hannah, banishing her from the castle, the chaos had already spread and the seeds were sown. The faithful were questioning one another and looking for clues in all the wrong places.
Joanne is a good example of how quickly that can happen. Her name has essentially never been mentioned, but a nervous slip at the table suddenly put her under scrutiny. It may have been an innocent mistake, but the faithfuls don’t know that. They only see a moment they can interpret as suspicious. No doubt her slip up was also a sign of how on edge they all are now. When everyone is already scrambling, even a small slip can become another reason to doubt someone. Therefore, chaos ensues.
Who is vulnerable for murder?
Sebastian Croft
Sebastian has had a memorable moment in the missions - he found a shield during the grim toilet challenge - but he hasn’t become one of the castle’s most visible accusers. Despite talking up at roundtables, his contributions rarely seem to lead anywhere. That makes him an interesting fit for the theory: he’s familiar enough to be missed, but there’s no obvious row or suspicion that would explain his murder. If he went, the faithfuls might start searching for a hidden reason and turn that uncertainty on one another.
Sharon Rooney
Sharon could be a clever next choice for a random killing. She doesn’t feel like an obvious target: she hasn’t dominated the round table or become the castle’s loudest accuser by any means. But she’s starting to build connections. In the latest episode, she and Romesh appeared to form a bond, while Romesh was also talking about James Blunt. If Sharon suddenly disappeared, that new connection could leave Romesh wondering whether someone was trying to silence them - or make the others question why the traitors chose such a quiet likeable, even easily led.
Romesh Ranganathan
Much like his old buddy Rob, comedian Romesh Ranganathan would be a very random and unprovoked killing. However the death of his good friend could spark a new investigative side to him. Rob did say he hoped Romesh would avenge him, and Romesh was visibly upset by his friend’s exit. A player scorned is always a player to watch out for. If the Traitors killed Romesh next, the faithfuls could wonder whether he’d got too close to something - or whether the traitors were simply removing another innocent player and leaving them to turn on one another. He’s also formed a friendship with former model Jerry Hall, someone who while not yet under a microscope has definitely come up in conversation. Killing him could lead the faithful in all different kinds of directions, all of which point away from the traitors.
Michael Sheen
Michael’s a better fit for the theory than we first gave him credit for. After Bella was murdered, he asked why the traitors had chosen her - a sharp question that helped turn the group’s attention towards Hannah, but not a sustained campaign against one particular player. If Michael were murdered next, the faithfuls wouldn’t have an obvious “he accused them, so they silenced him” explanation to follow. Even more so now that Hannah has already been banished. James Acaster has tried to cast suspicion on Michael, but that alone doesn’t make him the clear culprit; if anything, it could help falsely prove his innocence. His murder could leave the table debating whether it was a frame or simply another apparently random choice. Either way, if there’s one thing we know for sure, if they keep this up, those roundtables will only get more and more chaotic (here’s hoping!)