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It's devastatingly the final episode of The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One. Tonight''s (November 6) concluding installement will show us whether competitive and funny Joe Marler and Nick Mohammed can convince sensible and reserved historian David Olusoga to stick with the faithful, or if his head will be turned by day one traitors, Cat Burns and Alan Carr. WARNING: Spoiler alert for previous series and some of the current one, ahead... I came late to The Traitors and only started watching it at series two, when eventual winner Harry broke Molly's heart by playing the deceptive game right the way through the 2024 edition. Since then I haven't been able to get enough of the blasted show, streaming the UK debut series, the Australian series - of which there are two - and the New Zealand version. I haven't as yet found the original Dutch version - De Verraders - but I would absolutely tune into that, too, as will I watch the upcoming The Traitors Ireland hosted by Derry Girls' Siobhan McSweeney. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter As for the US version of The Traitors, hosted by the insatiable Alan Cumming - yes, I've seen that too. As with our own version with god tier host Claudia Winkleman, the US version is also filmed up in Scotland at Ardross Castle, making the US and the UK series the most visually similar. Challenges across the different nations are also similar, the singing baby doll challenge so beautifully seared into our brains thanks to Alexander Dragonetti from series three was also done in the most recent US series, for example. Now, here comes the differences, the regular series here in the UK is taken part in by civvies, normal people off the street, no celebs. The NZ and Aussie ones have a few reality telly stars and influencers dotted in with the normals. The US version is blanket reality stars. They all either know (and hate) each other, they've played on the same reality competitions together or been on the same constructed reality shows. They are ruthless, which is all really good for a show called The Traitors, but equally none of them are likeable and none of them really like each other, or seem to. Everyone is battling to be big dog and you don't want any of them to succeed. And this is why I was super sceptical of UK's The Celebrity Traitors, I thought 'oh no, it's going to be a battle of unchecked ego and bitchiness' - but it isn't. Well, actually... it is to an extent but it's done in the best, sort of, British of ways. Our celebs are way more entertaining, way more likeable, way more into the panto-campness (Alan) of The Traitors and it's what has made it utterly enjoyable. I'm so glad it's missing that unpleasant aggressiveness of other versions. It shows that our entertainment culture is heartwarmingly varied, a jumble of natural funniness, camp bitchiness, intelligence and humour. The three traitors, Alan, Cat and Jonathan Ross, have been endlessly entertaining and surprising. As soon as Wossy got too cocky that was it, banished. Tom Daley pitched it wrong and got banished, he had good ideas but was too aggressive in his pitching of them. A double act of Joe Marler and Joe Wilkinson, who'd have picked that? It's only gutting that Joe W was offed so early. There'll be a celebrity winner tonight and I hope it's Joe and Nick, but for pure giggles I'd love to see Alan steal it, too. Whoever walks away with the charity prize, it doesn't matter. TV and fans of TV will have won. Bring on the next series! The Celebrity Traitors ends on November 6, at 9pm on BBC One.
