Comedian Alan Carr delivered a dramatic line to camera after eliminating singer Paloma Faith on The Celebrity Traitors:

“I feel awful. I didn’t know what else to do! I’ve gone and murdered one of my best friends.”

The first “murder” of the series carried extra weight, as the two stars are friends off-screen, adding a layer of tension to the reality TV competition. And they aren’t the only contestants with prior connections — many cast members know or have crossed paths with each other, creating a web of relationships that complicates deception and alliance-building inside the Traitors Castle.

Even if some participants weren’t personally acquainted, most were at least familiar with each other, making lies and hidden motives more difficult to maintain. Contestants like Charlotte Church, Tom Daley, and Sir Stephen Fry bring public recognition to the mix, meaning fans—and fellow players—might already have an idea of who’s who.

Host Jonathan Ross is uniquely positioned in this environment. Having interviewed many of the contestants over the years — including Paloma Faith, Sir Stephen Fry, Tom Daley, Alan Carr, Charlotte Church, Clare Balding, Lucy Beaumont, and Cat Burns — Ross may benefit from prior familiarity to “hide out as a traitor,” according to TV reporter Siobhan Synnot. However, Ross admitted on X earlier this week that he found the duplicity challenging, describing it as a tougher psychological test than anticipated.

The intertwining relationships in this series add a fresh dimension to the game, forcing contestants to navigate alliances, friendships, and public personas while trying to outwit one another.