Celebrity Traitors viewers deliver verdict on season 2 quality after "flat" opening episodes

The Celebrity Traitors season 2 is nearing its halfway mark, but viewers are still to be convinced whether it will replicate the monumental impact of the first run.

The nation watched in huge numbers as stand-up comedian (and visibly nervous liar) Alan Carr managed to sneak his way to the final – and take home the prize pot.

But several Radio Times readers have voiced some disappointment over this year's opening episodes, where the most memorable moment has been a colossal blunder.

Actor Richard E Grant shocked audiences, his fellow contestants and the producers themselves when he announced almost immediately that he'd been selected as a traitor.

The startling comment effectively derailed the early stages of the game, and made his quick banishment – the first instance of a traitor being caught so early – ring hollow.

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Reader Helen was bemused by the players "celebrating getting Richard out when he served himself up on a plate" – and indeed, not everyone even voted for him.

She added that the programme has relied too much on a small handful of contestants, and that it would benefit from spotlighting some of the lesser seen faces.

After last night's episode, when the (rather suspicious) newly-minted traitor Professor Hannah Fry narrowly avoided banishment, Ivy Cling still felt "something is lacking".

"[It] feels like they're just playing up for the cameras," they commented.

Another reader, Anna, concurred that, so far, it is "not as good as the last celebrity series," but acknowledged that it was still "early days and also a lot to live up to".

While the roundtables have, in many instances, been more entertaining than the prize pot-building challenges, one reader, Jude, thinks there's "too much discussion going on" this time.

Even still, they continued, "not all [players] gave their reasons for who they chose at the round table and weren't asked".

The conclusion was that it's a "bit flat at the moment".

However, not everyone is quite as downbeat about Celebrity Traitors season 2, which is still drawing strong ratings for BBC One.

Val felt episode 4 (which aired on Friday night) was "better than [the] last" and feared for the three players up for murder (not counting Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who is protected).

Indeed, the unusual hide-and-seek murder has left some viewers excited for next week, including Margaret Craig, who praised an "absolutely amazing" cliffhanger.

Peter agreed it ended on a high, and was kept hooked by Hannah's "lucky escape," while commissioners will be pleased to see The Traitors continuing to win new fans.

Lynne shared: "This is the first time I've watched it and I'm addicted already. Hannah was so lucky, poor Julie!"

And among the most enthusiastic advocates was Pam, who believes that "it's much better than the first celebrity series".

"It's great to see some of them working out who the traitors are, even if they don't get them out," she added.

The ultimate metric for the show's success or failure will arguably be how many viewers are still watching when The Celebrity Traitors season 2 airs its finale.

Currently, Professor Fry is one of three traitors alongside Love Island's Maya Jama and comedian James Acaster.

The next celebrity to fall to their treachery will be either Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett or Ross Kemp, assuming that they don't mistakenly knock on Leigh-Anne's locked door.

Celebrity Traitors continues on Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.

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