Over ten million people have tuned in to watch the first series of The Celebrity Traitors, but it is not the only record the show is breaking.
It was revealed in tonight’s episode that never before had so many faithful exited the castle without finding a Traitor – after a further three players were booted off.
The hopeless faithful had voted for historian David Olusoga and actor Mark Bonnar in equal numbers at the banishment on Wednesday’s episode.
But with two tied votes, it was left to host Claudia Winkleman to intervene and tell the contestants that it would now be left to fate.
Tonight, Claudia presented Mark and David with two chests, one with a shield protecting them from banishment and the other empty, to choose from.
After a tense few seconds, the pair opened their chests revealing that David was safe from banishment.
Never before has so many faithful exited Celebrity Traitors without finding a Traitor – after a further three players were booted off in Thursday’s episode, including Stephen Fry
After the previous episode’s vote ended in a stalemate, Mark Bonnar was banished from the castle when his fate was left to the Chests of Chance
Joe Wilkinson then fell victim to The Traitors, as he was murdered following the dramatic roundtable, having admitted he’d been ‘lippy’ calling out his opponents the previous night
It was left to the Line of Duty star to reveal that he had been truthful and had been faithful throughout the game leaving the players gobsmacked.
Speaking after his exit, Mark shared his disappointment at being banished through the never-before-seen Chest Of Chance.
He said: ‘I’m really glad David’s a Faithful and I really hope he doesn’t go. I think he’s a real asset to them and I hope suspicions about him disappear very quickly. That I can’t see happening though.
‘Having that roundtable decided by the Chest of Chance was very dramatic and it was very emotional. I got so caught up in it all, but I hope it was a good TV moment. Even though I was sad to go, I thought, well, they’ve never done that before!’
Reflecting on his stint as a faithful, he added: ‘I would have played it slightly differently with hindsight; not being quite so involved, not being quite so enthusiastic, wide eyed and forthcoming with theories.
‘Claudia said, ”you know, remember, keep your eyes open at all times,” or something like that.
‘I was certainly doing that in observing everyone, not sure I was subtle enough about that which possibly put a massive target on my back!’
Then Traitors Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr and Cat Burns met in the turret to decide which faithful they would murder next.
The mission consisted of splitting the players into two groups on a giant chessboard and they had to guess who the traitors voted as the weakest, most two faced, and the leader of the pack
Durting a heated round table, strident faithful Joe Marler went to war with Jonathan Ross at the fifth banishment ceremony, as the rugby star accused the chat show host of being a traitor
They whittled it down to Kate Garraway, Joe Wilkinson and Stephen Fry, before it was revealed that the dastardly trio had chosen comedian Joe.
As he was greeted with the dreaded letter of death, Joe said: ‘I sort of expected it because I was quite lippy last night. But I have a message for The Traitors, what’s the turret like?’
Reflecting on his time on Celebrity Traitors, Joe simply said: ‘Yeah, it was great. Only downside was I didn’t see the turret.’
Asked whether he’s learned anything about himself on the show, the comedian simple replied: ‘Absolutely nothing.’
Heading outside, the mission then consisted of splitting the remaining ten players into two groups on a giant chessboard and they had to guess who the traitors had voted as the weakest player, the most two faced player, and the leader of the pack.
When they returned to the castle, the banishment ceremony got heated with Jonathan Ross, Joe Marler, Nick Mohammad, David Olusoga and Stephen Fry all finding themselves in the spotlight.
Strident faithful Joe Marler went to war with Jonathan Ross at the fifth banishment ceremony, as the rugby star accused the chat show host of being a traitor.
After days of making the case for his ‘big dog theory’, that either Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross were leaders of the faithful and traitors, he turned on the ITV presenter.
After days of making the case for his ‘big dog theory’, that either Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross were leaders of the faithful and traitors, he turned on the ITV presenter
But with four players – Jonathan Ross, David Olusoga, Nick Mohammad, and Cat Burns – convinced that Stephen Fry was a Traitor he was booted from the castle
Joe declared: ‘I’m trying to find a traitor’ at the roundtable as he eyed down Jonathan.
Jonathan asked: ‘So you think it’s me? Looking at me like that.’
Joe replied: ‘I’m trying to find a traitor.’
Before Jonathan fired back: ‘We are all trying to find a traitor, Joe.’
Then the former rugby prop snarled: ‘We’re not all trying to find a traitor, are we?’
Joe methodically laid out his charge against Jonathan, arguing that his suspicions had been aroused when Ruth Codd had been murdered after she had accused Jonathan of being a traitor.
‘Someone as clever as you would use that as a double bluff,’ he told him.
When Joe revealed that he had voted for Jonathan for banishment, the TV star brutally told him: ‘I don’t like you anymore.’
Kate Garraway voted for Nick Mohammad, Stephen Fry voted for David Olusoga, Joe Marler and Lucy Beamont voted for Jonathan Ross, Celia Imrie and Alan Carr voted for Joe Marler.
But with four players – Jonathan Ross, David Olusoga, Nick Mohammad, and Cat Burns – convinced that Stephen Fry was a Traitor he was booted from the castle to the amazement of the faithful.
Reflecting on his stint as a faithful on the show, he said: ‘If I were a Traitor, I don’t think I could have taken the pressure that is coming now.
‘I probably would have enjoyed what they’re enjoying now, the chuckling, cackling, glee of triumph. But you can’t help it emotionally if people conspire against you.
‘Even if it’s for a game, you start to have feelings of enmity towards them. When Tom [Daley] was murdered, I couldn’t believe it.
‘Because he was so enthusiastic, he wanted to stay longer, that was his problem.
‘Tom was hypervigilant, and everyone noticed that. Perhaps he should have just maybe invented a daffy kind of persona for the sake of survival.’
Stephen added: ‘It’s frustrating that the Traitors have done so well and there is no technique.
‘Of course, we fool ourselves, which is unbelievably stupid, because you have to accept the fact that human beings cannot read lies and that human beings are brilliant dissemblers and pretenders, and there’s no way of telling.
‘If some people are accused at the roundtable, they sometimes go off into these complicated, ridiculous excuses as to why they are irrefutably a Faithful. When I was accused, I just laughed.
‘There is nothing I can say if you think that, but I warn you, if you do, it’s another Faithful going, and the Traitors would have triumphed again. That’s the best I can come up with.’
With Stephen banished, it left the trio of traitors to once again choose a player to murder.
In the episode’s closing moments, it was revealed that the three faithfuls at risk would learn their fate on the chess board, with the victim set to be murdered face-to-face
Lucy Beaumont, Nick Mohammad (pictured) and Kate Garraway made their way back to the giant chessboard from the day’s task
Viewers will find out who goes during next Wednesday’s episode, which will leave just nine faithfuls to three traitors
The three people at risk were told that there was to be a twist, instead of being murdered in private, the victim would be told face-to-face by the Traitors themselves.
Lucy Beaumont, Nick Mohammad and Kate Garraway made their way back to the giant chessboard from the day’s task.
They were instructed to face the Traitors chess piece and turn around.
Those who were not murdered would face and see Claudia, but the murdered faithful would come face to face with Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, and Cat Burns who would deliver the news.
Viewers will find out who goes during next Wednesday’s episode, which will leave just nine faithfuls to three traitors.
