For two nights in a row, Celia Imrie has been the highlight of The Celebrity Traitors. The new star-studded spinoff of the mystery game show, airing now overseas, has a cast full of big personalities like Alan Carr and Stephen Fry, but no one has had more of an impact than the Bridget Jones actor.
In the span of just a few days, Imrie audibly farted during task instructions, loudly announced her own snooping, screamed incoherently into a well, and casually dropped the word “pussy” in conversation. All this delightful chaos made me realize something: When it comes to celebrities, the U.S. version of The Traitors simply can’t compete.
One of the biggest reasons for this comes down to the pools of potential contestants that each show pulls from. In the U.K. version, the celebrities span a wide range of vocations, from pop star Paloma Faith to Olympic diver Tom Daley. And while the U.S. version mixed a group of lower-level celebrities with civilians in its first season, the show now relies almost exclusively on an abundance of reality TV stars from the likes of Real Housewives, Below Deck, and Survivor.
This tends to cause a sharp divide in both gameplay and general rapport: Contestants who come from shows like Survivor and Big Brother, often called the “game players,” are constantly side-eyed by the rest of the group, who’ve assumed they’re always thinking 10 steps ahead — and they usually are. Conversely, contestants from shows like Vanderpump Rules often rely more on social intelligence and forming relationships to succeed. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks certainly wasn’t a gamer, so to speak, but got very far as a traitor largely through charming and allying with fellow contestants.
The U.K. Celebrity Traitors avoids these lines of division through variety. The casting on the series can feel more like a Top 10 Anime Crossovers-esque experiment than a reality TV show. No one comes from a competitive game show background, and contestants often know and respect each other’s work before even arriving at the castle.
This already sets a precedent for overall better vibes, which is then further enhanced by one big difference between the two series: Competitors on the U.S. version keep the money, while U.K. players donate it to the charity of their choice. Earning money for the prize pot takes on an entirely different tone when it’s being done for good rather than personal gain. This may just be a case of psychoanalyzing strangers on TV, but I genuinely think this difference affects a cast’s ability to work as a team, at least subconsciously.
Don’t get me wrong, I love U.S. host Alan Cumming, and still have had plenty of fun with the show. I think about Tom Sandoval, a man who very famously had an affair, accidentally saying “women are better cheaters” instead of “traitors” at least once a week. However, the vibe of U.K. Celebrity Traitors — where old dames can rip one in front of Olympiads — is undeniably better. The extremely diverse blend of contestants and purer prize pot earning impetus not only leads to more teamwork, but more completely unexpected moments, like Imrie’s now iconic “pussy” comment (which, for the record, was referring to an old nursery rhyme).
Though there’s no release date, the next season of U.S. Traitors and its cast have been announced. The lineup does look slightly more varied, including a few wild cards like comedian Ron Funches and Donna Kelce, Taylor Swift’s future mother-in-law, and producers have been eager to shake things up in the past. Hopefully this means the next installment will bring more silliness (and gassiness) to the round table, as it currently can’t hold a candle to The Celebrity Traitors.
