THE time for talk is over as the five remaining Celebrity Traitors stars tonight battle to banish and blag their way through the final episode.
Alan Carr and Cat Burns remain for the Traitors, while Faithfuls Joe Marler, Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga are hot on their tail.
Rugby ace Joe has rumbled Alan and Cat, but can he convince the other players?
He said: “I’ve always been very competitive – I pretty much want to win at everything I play.
“Bombed out of a home World Cup in 2015, lost in the World Cup final in 2019, lost in the World Cup semi-final 2023. To finally win something would be lovely.”
Meanwhile, top Traitor Alan cackled: “Weirdly, even though we’ve been murdering and banishing national treasures, Olympians, intellectuals and popular entertainers, my family are still strangely proud of me.”
Tonight, the Faithfuls will hope to root out the Traitors at the last round table before a mutual decision is taken to end the game.
If, at that point, a single Traitor remains, then the baddies win prize pot of up to £100,000 for charity. But before that, the celebs will take on one final epic mission, set on a steam train in the Scottish Highlands.
Sneak pictures show the five in identical assault gear – suggesting the trial will be high-octane. While host Claudia Winkleman opted for a fashionable white ballet tutu.
Whoever ends up winning, one thing is for sure, the BBC series has given a huge boost to the careers of many of the cast.
Deputy TV Editor Felicity Cross delves into its real-life winners and losers, giving Claudia and the finalists a Traitor Rating out of five, along with their odds of winning.
And on the right, she looks at some who didn’t make it.
The Celebrity Traitors Finale is on at 9pm tonight on BBC One.
DAVID OLUSOGA: ODDS 3/1
THROUGHOUT the show, TV historian David has been hailed by the cast as one of the smartest men in the room.
But his dismal run of form on screen has been derided by fans, who wonder how such an academic clever clogs can consistently get the game so wrong.
David said: “I never thought I would get to the final and with the way I’ve played so far, I probably didn’t deserve to get to the final. It’s so random but an amazing game because so much of it is chance as well as strategy.”
David has been promoting his speaking tour, A Gun Through Time, but insiders wonder if he’s garnered many new fans from his appearance on the show.
RATING: 2/5
CAT BURNS: ODDS 4/1
POP star Cat has been the biggest surprise, with her once-niche career now in the mainstream.
She released album, How To Be Human, last Friday, which saw her top the UK iTunes chart.
And she’s held her own among the big-name stars, managing to defend her behaviour to lofty Stephen Fry by explaining her ADHD and autism.
Cat said: “It feels amazing to be a finalist. I’ve been a super-fan of the show for a while, but I know how unpredictable it can be so I went in, decided to be myself and hoped for the best. My family and friends knew how hard I’d find filming.”
Now her music career looks sure to triumph after she gathered a whole new horde of fans.
RATING: 5/5
CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN
THE Traitors has helped Claudia’s already-successful career to skyrocket.
When she first took the reins as Traitors host, her main gig was Strictly Come Dancing, alongside other work including Channel 4 quiz One Question. But after the first series aired in November 2022, the momentum has not stopped.
Her role as host saw her pick up the TV Bafta for Entertainment Performance in 2023, with the show lifting the Best Reality gong.
And more work followed, including on amateur musician contest The Piano for Channel 4. Now the BBC has fast-tracked a new talk show format for her, which will air in the spring.
Even her recent decision to quit Strictly at the end of this series won’t stop her – with insiders believing it will free her up to take on bigger projects.
NICK MOHAMMED: ODDS Evens
COMIC and actor Nick was one of the line-up’s lesser-known stars, but now his name is on everyone’s lips as the steady balancing act to fiery Joe Marler.
He said: “I always hoped I’d make it to the final, but I think it’s dangerous to anticipate that, particularly as a Faithful.
“It’s just so rare because it’s the roll of the dice as to whether you’re going to get murdered and, of course, you can be banished as well.”
Nick was best known for playing Nate in Apple TV hit Ted Lasso. In 2024 his comedy work picked up, but it will now snowball thanks to Celebrity Traitors.
He is currently promoting his Show Pony tour as well as landing a role with fellow Celeb Traitors star Celia Imrie on new Sky drama, War.
RATING: 4/5
ALAN CARR: ODDS 6/1
CLASS clown Alan has had the last laugh by giggling his way to the final.
The comic said: “I think me and the entire nation didn’t believe I would get through the first round table let alone be in the final five. What a journey.
“Everyone’s in shock basically as I am known for not having a poker face nor being able to lie without sweating and my glasses getting steamed up.”
Already much loved, The Celebrity Traitors has cemented Alan as an national treasure and he has been flooded with offers of work.
The BBC has poached him for a celebrity-led game show, which he filmed the pilot for this week. And ITV was quick to promote a third series of his comedy Changing Ends.
RATING: 4/5
JOE MARLER: ODDS Evens
RUGBY ace Joe has taken his profile from beefcake to brains by sniffing out Alan and Cat as Traitors and being behind the demise of their fellow show baddie, Jonathan Ross.
He and comic Joe Wilkinson realised TV bosses would likely have chosen Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross as the “big dogs” leading each rival pack.
He said: “I’m proud that it was the big dog theory that resulted in the toppling of the first Traitor, Jonathan, and now I’ve got to finish the job.”
Joe just needs to convince floating voter David that his verdict on Alan and Cat is sound in tonight’s final.
The sky’s the limit now, with TV insiders saying the BBC is keen to find the right format for him.