Celebrity Traitors viewers hail nervous Alan Carr as highlight of new series

Fans are calling comedian’s casting TV gold and worth their licence fee

The Traitors is back for its first-ever celebrity instalment – and Alan Carr is already stealing the show.

After Carr and 18 of his star competitors arrived at Ardross Castle in Scotland, the comedian left viewers in hysterics after claiming he wanted to be a traitor – and then struggled with the reality after host Claudia Winkleman made him one.

Winkleman dramatically walked around the table, touching the shoulder of the three celebrities who’ll be hoping to remain undetected as traitors throughout the next eight episodes. She selected Carr as well as TV host Jonathan Ross and singer-songwriter Cat Burns.

The comedian was shown sweating and cackling nervously every time anyone accused him of being traitorous (BBC)

Soon after Winkleman made her selections, Ross and Burns took to their new role rather well – but Carr’s nerves shone through. The comedian was shown immediately sweating after discovering the news, and cackling nervously every time anyone accused him of being traitorous.

Viewers reacted to Carr’s immediate struggles, with one writing: “The chaos of Alan Carr as a traitor is already giving me life and my TV highlight of the year.”

Another predicted Carr’s tenure as a traitor will make for “iconic” television.

Alan Carr is a traitor alongside TV host Jonathan Ross and singer-songwriter Cat Burns (BBC)

“Casting team, let me applaud you for a second because Alan Carr as a traitor is GOLD television,” an additional viewer wrote, with another chiming in: “Worth paying my TV license just to see Alan Carr as a traitor, get this man to the finale!”

Also taking part in the series are actors Celia Imrie, Mark Bonnar, Tameka Empson and Ruth Codd, former QI host Stephen Fry, broadcasters Kate Garraway and Clare Balding, singer Charlotte Church, comedian Lucy Beaumont, rugby player Joe Marler, YouTube prankster Niko Omilana and historian David Olusoga.

Other stars who threw their names in the ring to be traitors were Tom Daley, Joe Wilkinson, Paloma Faith and Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed.

The lucky players who survive to the end of the game have the chance of winning £100,000 for their chosen charity.

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In The Independent’s four-star review, Katie Rosseinsky commended the show’s producers for pulling off “the seemingly impossible and filling the available slots with actually recognisable names”.

Rosseinsky added: “Traitors diehards were fearful that a celebrity version would go against everything that made it so watchable. But, based on this opener at least, they don’t have anything to worry about – this new spin-off stays faithful to the show we know and love.”