Maya Jama defends controversial Celebrity Traitors decision
Celebrity Traitorsstar Maya Jama has weighed in on her decision to recruit James Acaster and Hannah Fry to join her as Traitors – despite them seeming to struggle under the pressure.
The Love Island host, 32, was selected by Claudia Winkleman as one of two Traitors in the first episode of season two, along with actor Richard E. Grant.
The pair then chose to pick comedian Acaster to join them, and after Grant was banished in episode three, following his unprecedented reveal of his Traitor status to the group, mathematician Fry became the next recruit.
However, towards the end of episode four, which aired on Friday (9 October) evening, Acaster and Fry admitted that they were finding it difficult to pull off their traitorous machinations – and that they might even rather be playing as Faithfuls.
Jama, meanwhile, seemed to be the only one embracing her murderous role in the game, telling them: “I can’t be the only one out here killing people.”
She also took a moment to jokingly lament the departure of Grant, who had been so giddily thrilled to be named as a Traitor that he ended up sabotaging himself.
Jama has so far managed to keep her cool and evade suspicion (BBC)
“Where is Richard when I need him?” she quipped. “Rich, the spirit of Rich!”
As viewers questioned why Jama had picked these two reluctant Traitors, the presenter defended her choices, reminding fans that they are able to see more of what happens during the game on TV than she was able to at the time.
“All I will say after last night’s episode is I had NO IDEA they didn't want to be Traitors when I agreed to recruit them,” Jama wrote on Twitter/X. “Remember you see more on the TV than I did in that castle #CelebrityTraitors.”
Fans were quick to support the star, with one X user playfully responding: “Maya I hope your back is ok after single handedly carrying the Traitors since Richard left.”
Another suggested that Jama was “single-handedly holding down the turret all by yourself”.
Fry appeared to flounder under the pressure during Friday’s round table (BBC)
“You need two new Traitors,” a third chimed in. “You can tell their heart is not in it and they look guilty, you need two that are committed to cause like you, we don’t need reluctant Traitors, can’t wait to see how this unfolds.”
At the end of episode four, the three Traitors picked four contestants to take part in a creepy game of hide and seek, during which one of them will be “murdered” face to face.
They selected Rob Beckett, Ross Kemp, Romesh Ranganathan and Leigh-Anne Pinnock – but Pinnock was then given an unexpected lifeline when her fellow players picked her to receive a special key that will protect her from being killed.
If the Traitors attempt to murder her in the next episode, then, she will survive.
The Celebrity Traitors continues on BBC One on Thursday at 8pm.
Source: Entertainment