Celebrity Traitors: have we seen the wildest move ever? – The Latest

0:00This is The Guardian. Still waiting in line? Again? That's time you'll never get back. Save time and money with stamps.com. Over 4 million businesses have skipped the line with stamps.com. Join them to save up to 90% off-carrier rates from your computer or phone right now. Print postage for Certify Mail, Registered Mail and Packages in seconds. Then schedule a pickup right from your home or office. For a limited time, go to stamps.com and use code podcast for a free welcome gift. Taxes and fees apply. I think he is dug himself a grave. I think he is doomed. There's no logic. What are you? Trader. You what? Trader. He's a traitor. Are you? No. Traders I think is a rarity in which it has lent itself towards live TV.

1:01TV has changed a lot, particularly with younger generations. If many of them will be turning on a TV live and it will be probably the only time they would do so for this program. From The Guardians Today in focus, this is the latest with Lee Lucy Hath. So celebrity Traders season 2 is here with a genuinely stellar cast yet again. A big, big warning that this episode will contain spoilers. So if you didn't watch Thursday night's episode, it's best to stop now and come back when you have watched it. But I'm joined by Scott Bryan, TV critic and social media legend, the first person that I come to when I need a snap take on what I've just watched. What is your snap take of season 2 episode 1? I mean, what an opener. But I would say in an unexpected fashion. They had obviously tried to change the series a little bit by having a different sort of start. You know, however, one go into a chapel, have this twist in which the third traitor was going to be picked last and that be left on a cliffhanger.

2:06I don't think they were expecting one of the traitors to admit that they were a traitor to minutes after being chosen as being a traitor. Like that. So this is Richard E. Grant in genuinely one of the most hilarious and iconic Claudia Winkerman herself described it as. Iconic, but he said it might be the biggest mistake I've ever made. What do you think about it? Like do you think it will, I mean, obviously it's great TV, but it also is a bit dubious as a strategy. I mean, some people did think it was a strategy in that in the castle. Yeah, I do think that it was a genuine mess up. I mean, there was a screening that I went to a week ago where we saw the episode and the exact the exact producers then did the Q&A afterwards. And they were expressing their shock and bewildering in the gallery watching that play out literally to the staff to choosing for traitors. Like they did not anticipate anything like this at all. And of course, I think for the show, it's kind of an unsharted territory. Like I don't think any iteration of the program has ever had a participant that has gleefully admitted that they were a traitor.

3:11And that is I think down to just a fact that they were so excited. They hadn't really realized the enormity of what they had been told, I think, and alone behold, they then slipped it out and it was too late for them to backtrack in it. What I find so frustrating and bewildering is how many of the faithfuls just went along with it. And we're like, oh, that's just Richard and he can't possibly be a traitor. And it's like, we're at a point in a show where a traitor is literally telling you that he is a traitor and people aren't believing it. They're still thinking that he could be a faithful. Yeah. Doesn't Bode well does that. Yeah, it's not Bode well. So I think, I mean, we'll find out obviously on Friday night's episode, I think he is dug himself a grave and he's made a, he's dug it too deep. I think he is doomed just because there's no logic to the reason why he would kind of admit he was a traitor of otherwise. And I sort of feel like his excusey sort of played that he was trying to do it as a double treble bluff.

4:18I just don't think we'll be bought there easily. Yes, especially when they've got so little to work on in their first round table and you know, someone literally saying, I am a traitor, probably is quite a big giveaway. I mean, obviously when the cast was announced for season one last year, people were just genuinely incredulous at the caliber of celebrities. They'd agreed to sign up like Claire, Boulding, Stephen, Fry, Tom, Daily to name but a few. We were just astounded that so many national treasures would want to do this. What do you think about the show makes it just impossible for people to turn down? I think there's many reasons why I think like firstly it's down to the gameplay is irresistible. I think everyone watching it has at least four months how they would play it. They were playing it themselves. I think it's also managed to avoid. I don't know, like some of the the kind of icky parts of celebrity based formats that might push some people away.

5:23It doesn't feel like having to eat like rats tails in the jungle and exactly. Yeah, and it doesn't feel Watson or you know, like is it showing the side of the celebrity that maybe is them away from the public eye? It's showing them as a gameplay, but it's not to seek revelation about the personal life. It kind of leaves that at the door. I also think there's an enormous amount of trust in the producers who make it. Studio Lambert, they are a powerhouse in British broadcasting. They also do right across the world. They also do Google box and Stephen Lambert. You know, this is not a British format. It's an international format that's coming from the Netherlands. Didn't it? As did Big Brother, which we were talking about this morning. Very good at reality TV, it seems the dirt. 100% but they're like just very trusted in terms of everyone comes across, you know, rather well, even if they're not particularly good at the gameplay. It's not necessarily out to get them. And I also just think that even if you're a household treasure in this day and age

6:25where I think celebrity has to have a social media presence plus constant appearances on TV. And there are very few opportunities that really bring people together. You know, an opportunity to spend some time enjoying camp nonsense and murder in a Scottish castle is going to probably fill up your book and your itinerary for the next year and probably have more cut through. Than many other appearances or many other opportunities to do. So even if the money might not not be massive, this is a BBC show through and through. Yeah. I think the opportunities they can have for your career, even if you're already very established, you know, can be hard to turn down. But also it's the great equalizer. Like it doesn't matter how much the household name you are. You are still going to be banished if you don't play the game well. In terms of from a production perspective, like if you are able to call on kind of the a list of British celebrities, what are the producers looking for in terms of a range of personalities?

7:28Because there's some critique that maybe there's a few too many comedians in there this year that kind of know each other. Yeah, possibly. I mean, I think that a challenge like this show has always had. And I can't really see a way around it is. You know, if you think about it, British celebrity is quite finite. Like, yeah, there are a million Stephen Fry's. We've already ticked off a lot of household favourites from season one. Inevitably, there will be some people who will turn it down. So that will limit it. And I think also for sure is a bit like strictly in a way that if you look past some of the household names, you know, they have included content creators. They have included stars from up-and-coming programs, such as Sebastian Croft. No, he's very known for a heart stopper and other dramas, but maybe not so much known by their parents age. So I think that they are trying to make sure it's far more reflective of like a large viewership. I think at the moment, the ball is firmly in the BBC's call.

8:29I think the amount of people who must have been hounding their agent to contact the production team, to take part, must have been absolutely huge and what an honour for them to go and whittle it down. But I think like the main thing that comes through for the viewer is just the enjoyment of seeing participants who are really engaged in the format itself. Like I've watched countless shows over the years where a celebrity turns up on Day 1 of a TV show and you watch it at home and you can tell by the facial expression that they have no idea what the show is. They want to get out and they are basically throwing their agent off screen as much as possible to ask them whether they can leave. Whilst here, not only you can tell the everyone's incredibly enthusiastic, but also they have come with this season with their own level of gameplay. Like they have watched season 1 forensically and they have a thought to themselves that didn't work. How can I apply them up myself to the second series?

9:30And that's gold dust for the producers because it means that series 2, hopefully with the Celestial 1, won't be like series 1 in the same way that the latest series of the civilian traders isn't the same with the previous series either. And I think from a longevity sort of point of view, that's very much to the show's advantage. I'm wondering why you think the celebrity traders version or whether it is an easier watch because it's sort of, it's got this like high-camp performative quality to it that perhaps people who are used to being in front of cameras find easier to tolerate. It's very different in tone to the civilian version where we get much more heartfelt stories. You know, people really need the money for various reasons. Do you think it makes it a more enjoyable watch? I just think they are fundamentally different. And I think sometimes the civilian series has erred on taking itself too seriously. You know, there are some times in which the round table accusations have probably become just that little bit too personal,

10:32rather than the actual gameplay. And you know, there have been sometimes we were literally looking through your fingers. I think the celebrity one would always be tone-ally a little bit different because I think celebrities are trying to, you know, maybe protect their career a little bit more, like not wanting to be too argumentative because they think that that could maybe be spun negatively. But I also think that there's something about celebrity seeing them out of their comfort zone. And it being incredibly camp and therefore really rather hilarious. Like for me it was seeing hard man, Roskemp. They're used to interviewing drug lords, used to basically, you know, with a serious monotone voice, hiding in bushes trying to hide from gunfire, losing his mind when the ampinnet touched him on the arm. And yeah, like literally for, I think within two minutes, in two separate occasions, they hit me more than the plane site. In episode one, and just seeing Roskemp do that. Yeah. Is something that obviously the producers would absolutely love.

11:35But no one can plan for that. And I think you wouldn't get that in a civilian version because you're not able to know each person as quickly as you do in the Celad version. So it just means it's just that little bit, bit different. We hear so much about TV as a medium being sort of on the decline. Maybe dead that younger audiences just aren't tuning into things the way that they were previously were. But the traders just runs against all of that. I mean, the first episode got 8.9 million viewers, which is 2 million more than the first season of celebrity traders. So is it just that it's an anomaly because it's such a good format that's so popular? I do think it is an anomaly, really, because if you look at the trends of viewership on Linear TV, it is on the way down. And it has been on the way down for quite some time. Yeah. The only exceptions are really live sports and people always watch sport live and the traders. So many other broadcasters, ITV Channel 4 have made traders like shows

12:36that have failed in maybe other different ways. And the notable thing is is that they haven't had the viewership. The traders, I think, is a rarity in which it has lent itself towards live TV. So I don't think like a Linear TV has a hopeful future because of this show. I think it does have, however, it does give a competitive edge to public service broadcasters like the BBC, because they cannot get the same... They can't make all of their origins or a large amount of their origins all watching the same show at the same time. Netflix can do so in a matter of days, but the BBC can do all at once. And I think there's a national cultural moment, a critical moment for the broadcasters future. You know, that is absolutely an asset for them. Absolutely. But yes, I think TV has changed a lot, particularly with younger generations. So I think many of them will be turning on a TV live and it will be probably the only time they would do so for this month, really, for this programme.

13:38Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so Scott, rapid fire. Do you think that Richard E. Grant is going to be banished this evening? Well, yes, but stranger things have happened. I said last year that Alan Karl was not going to make it to the end of the series without being... And boy, you're wrong. I was wrong. So lo and behold, people are now trusting me again or asking me about my thoughts as if I'm able to have any clout. I would say that it would be really rather miraculous if Richard E. Grant makes it through, just because you're so early in the game, he would need to just be basically, you know, they are clutching extra draws. This really isn't defining quick fire, is it? No, that's absolutely fine. Okay, well Scott, thank you so much. What a pleasure to have you on. Oh, thank you. And congratulations on your award as well. Oh, thank you, yeah. We should shout out to today and focus this big win at the British Podcast Awards last night. It was a very well deserved. That's it for today. My huge thanks again to Scott Bryan, TV critic and broadcaster.

14:41Thanks for listening to this episode of The Latest. Today and focus will be back in your feeds as usual on Monday morning. The latest will be back on Monday night. Have a lovely weekend. This episode was produced by Angus Sneal. The senior producer was Ryan Ram Govin. The executive producer was Zoe Hitch. And it was presented by me Lucy Holt. This is The Guardian. Hey, I'm running out to drop off a stack of letters and packages. Need anything shipped while I'm gone? Save the gas. Stamps.com lets you print, postage and schedule pickups right from your desk. Sync your contacts into the address book. Get detailed accounting insights. And get notified the moment your certified male is delivered. All from my desk? All from your desk. Join the four million businesses using stamps.com right now with Code Podcast and get your free welcome gift. Stamps.com Code Podcast. Texts and feeds apply. Everything Galeer says one thing

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