Celebrity Traitors series two start date revealed in Richard Osman live podcast slip
The Celebrity Traitors is back on the BBC for season two. (BBC)
Richard Osman appeared to let slip that The Celebrity Traitors series two will begin on 23 September, after referencing an “absolutely embargoed” start date during a live show in London.
The 55-year-old was on stage for a live edition of The Rest Is Entertainment at the Southbank Centre, recording the podcast with co-host Marina Hyde when the date came up.
‘It’s absolutely embargoed’: the on-stage exchange
The moment happened as guest Joe Marler, a former Celebrity Traitors finalist, discussed what advice he would give new contestants. Marler asked: “What is it September 23 the next series?”
Osman responded: “By the way to point out, it’s absolutely embargoed that it starts on September 23… let’s talk about what we call the events of September 23 this year, the cat’s out of the bag isn’t it? Not to repeat it.”
Accounts of the exchange were published after the Southbank Centre recording, including by the Evening Standard and The Independent.
Marler’s hints about the new series
Osman also shared what he said he had heard about the upcoming run, adding that it “sounds like it was quite intense”.
Marler suggested the mood may be different from the first celebrity series, which he described as more playful. “I believe it was a slightly different emotion than our experience, ours was very laugh-led, and everyone was sort of enjoying catching up, you know, pratting about to the point where they went, ‘guys we’re trying to play a game’,” he said.
He also said Osman helped him land a place on the first series, recounting what he said a talent booker told him at an early meeting: “Look, I’ll be straight up, I have no idea who you are, I don’t know a lot about rugby, I’ve not really heard of you, a good friend of mine, Richard Osman, has put me in touch and said you should have a look at this guy’.”
What series two is playing for
The Celebrity Traitors is set in a Scottish Highlands castle, where celebrity contestants play a game of deception and deduction. Most are “faithfuls” trying to identify the hidden “traitors”, who eliminate players overnight.
Series two will feature 21 celebrities competing for up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice.
Osman is a familiar face to UK audiences through his work in entertainment television and quiz formats, including Richard Osman’s House of Games.
Why the start date is being watched
The timing matters after the first celebrity run drew a huge audience. The debut series aired last autumn on the BBC, with the finale peaking at 15.4 million viewers and the series averaging 14.9 million across its run.
Those figures made it the biggest TV audience of 2025, setting a high bar for the next group of contestants.
