Filming vans rolled into Ardross Castle this week, and 2 of the most talked about arrivals were national treasure Stephen Fry and Welsh vocalist Charlotte Church.
Their inclusion lifts the upcoming celebrity edition of The Traitors from an intriguing experiment to a mainstream television event. According to the Evening Standard, insiders say Fry agreed after producers promised a logic driven game that would “reward intellect as much as bluff” while Church wanted a fresh platform after a decade focused on wellness projects and motherhood.
The pair join 17 other famous faces who will live cut off from the outside world for 4teen days, competing for a charity prize fund of £120,000. The BBC annual plan confirms the series will air in autumn 2025, slotting between Strictly launch specials and the early rounds of I’m A Celebrity, a prime position that suggests high expectations.
Producers are already teasing strategic fireworks. Fry is rumoured to have negotiated nightly access to a chessboard “for mental clarity”, while Church has reportedly asked to lead the first hymn at breakfast, an homage to her classical roots. If either becomes a Traitor, fans on X are predicting the “greatest bluff off in reality history”.
Social buzz has been intense: the teaser hashtag #FryVsChurch generated 3.2 million impressions within 48 hours of leak reports, out performing early metrics for both Traitors series 2 and 3.
Marketing analysts at K7 Media say the pairing bridges multiple demographics, bringing older quiz viewers and younger music fans to the same format.
With Claudia Winkleman back at the round table and Studio Lambert expanding the castle set to include a new subterranean armoury, the scene is set for a cerebral yet theatrical season in which Fry’s eloquence and Church’s vocal charisma could shift alliances by the minute.
