The latest episode of Celebrity Traitors left viewers reeling as beloved journalist Clare Balding became the newest star to be banished from the BBC reality series.
Fans and co-stars alike were left stunned as the round table revealed the votes that would see the 54-year-old presenter sent home.
Whispering Campaign Targets the Faithful
Clare’s elimination came after a subtle whispering campaign orchestrated by Traitor Jonathan Ross, who narrowly avoided being exposed himself.
Standing before her fellow celebrities, Clare maintained her trademark composure.
“I came in with only one strategy, which was to be nice to absolutely everyone,” she said.
“I’ve had the best time, and I love all of you. I am, and have been from the start, a faithful.”
Fellow Contestants React with Shock
The round table exit sparked heartfelt reactions. Stephen Fry admitted, “Oh my god how are we so useless, we’ve lost a great Faithful. What have we done?” Charlotte Church added, “She was such a good Faithful.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan Ross reflected to the cameras, “I’ve got to be the luckiest Traitor, the Faithfuls did our dirty work for us.
Everyone’s going to be scratching away at each other now.”
Fans Take to Social Media to Mourn Clare
Viewers were quick to express their disappointment online. On X, formerly Twitter, fans shared messages like:
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“Gutted for Clare!”
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“Clare is a loss she was consistently making correct observations. The faithfuls have lost a good one.”
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“They all were going for Jonathan and then it was Clare who got the boot!?”
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“Poor Clare…,” and “Poor, useless Faithfuls.”
The audience’s reaction made it clear that Clare’s exit was one of the most upsetting moments of the season so far.
Traitors Make Their Next Move
Elsewhere in the castle, Traitors Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, and Cat Burns made a calculated decision to “kill off” Ruth Codd after she targeted Jonathan at the round table.
Alan explained, “Yeah, let’s get rid now before she poisons everyone,” while Jonathan added, “If I was a Traitor I wouldn’t do it, why would I put myself in the firing line?”
Ruth, discovering the letter that sealed her fate, joked, “Jonathan and Kate Garraway are traitors!” before reflecting seriously, “I’m mentally extremely strong and I will miss the Faithfuls.”
Remaining Contestants Left in Suspense
The following morning at the Scottish castle, the remaining stars, Charlotte Church and Stephen Fry, arrived for breakfast only to find Ruth missing.
Confusion and speculation filled the room. Joe Marler voiced his suspicions: “I think they’re going to kill Ruth to make it look like Jonathan.” Joe Wilkinson agreed, adding, “I don’t think it’s Jonathan.”
The Drama Continues Next Week
Fans of the series will have to wait until next Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer to see how the game unfolds and which stars will survive the next round of scheming and deception.