The short version: The BBC says the opening episode of The Celebrity Traitors series 2 reached 15.7 million viewers within seven days, past the first series’ 28-day opening figure of 14.8 million. Episode 2 reached 15.2 million in seven days. The 22 October episode drew a BARB overnight audience of 10.03 million on BBC One, and Uncloaked drew 4.38 million. That episode murdered Ross Kemp in plain sight and banished Jerry Hall, a Faithful. Two episodes are still to come: Thursday 29 October, then the final on Friday 30 October at 8pm.
The Celebrity Traitors is one of the biggest reality-TV hits of 2026, and series 2 is in its endgame with the audience still watching. The cast, the Thursday and Friday slots, and how to watch are in our series 2 castle guide.
A launch the BBC calls the biggest since at least 2022
The BBC published its seven-day figures on 23 October. The opening episode of series 2 attracted 15.7 million viewers within seven days. The corporation says that already passed the 14.8 million who watched the series 1 opener over 28 days, and that this is the biggest Traitors launch yet, celebrity or civilian. It also calls the episode the biggest launch of any series, scripted or unscripted, across the whole market since at least 2022 (BBC Media Centre).
Those 15.7 million are the BBC’s own seven-day figures, counting every device and including repeat viewing. Barb’s consolidated seven-day audience for the same launch, which counts a viewer’s first watch, is a separate number. The Independent reports it as 15.41 million, the largest UK television audience of 2026 so far on that measure, with episode 2 at 14.95 million (The Independent).
On the BBC’s count, episode 2 reached 15.2 million viewers over seven days. The same release says that across the first two episodes, over half of viewing came through BBC iPlayer, at 8.9 million (58%). It also says 3.1 million viewers aged 16–34 made up a fifth of the audience for the launch, the biggest volume of younger viewers the show has recorded (BBC Media Centre).
10.03 million overnight on 22 October
Thursday 22 October kept the run in front of the rest of the night. Radio Times, citing BARB, says that episode drew an overnight audience of 10.03 million on BBC One, ahead of EastEnders on 2.40 million and The One Show on 2.36 million. The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked followed with 4.38 million (Radio Times).
The Standard, citing the BBC, reports a peak of 10.3 million and an average of about 10 million for the same episode, with a 59.9% share, level with episode 3 (The Standard). The 10.03 million figure is the overnight average Radio Times attributes to BARB. Friday 23 October’s episode has since aired. An overnight figure for that episode was not in these reports.
Ross Kemp’s murder in plain sight
The 22 October episode also produced one of the season’s strangest exits.
The Traitors, Maya Jama, James Acaster and King Kenny, had been told to murder a Faithful in plain sight by getting them to yawn. Episode 6 ended with Maya and James still trying. Episode 7 finished it. BBC News says James Acaster, “by boring him to tears,” got Ross Kemp to yawn, and the murder landed. On his way out Kemp quoted Polonius in Hamlet: “To thine own self be true.” Then: “And I was” (BBC News). The BBC Media Centre lists him as a Faithful, the fourth player murdered (BBC Media Centre).
Jerry Hall was banished, and she was a Faithful
The Faithful lost again at the Round Table the same night. Jerry Hall received the most votes and revealed that she had been a Faithful. Her exit line, in BBC News: “I told you so!” (BBC News; BBC Media Centre).
Every exit, including what Friday 23 October has since shown, is on our murder and banishment tracker.
Two episodes are left
Friday 23 October’s episode has aired. Two episodes remain, both at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer: Thursday 29 October, then the series 2 final on Friday 30 October. The BBC has the final at 8pm that night on BBC One and iPlayer (BBC Media Centre). The Independent reports an extended 80-minute slot, finishing at 9.20pm (The Independent). The BBC programme page lists that finale as 1 hour 17 minutes, so the billed length is not identical across BBC listings (BBC).
The viewing figures have already settled whether The Celebrity Traitors is a hit.
What is still unknown is whether the Faithful can identify the remaining Traitors before the end. That part is speculation. Series 1 was won by a Traitor, Alan Carr. Who takes series 2 has not been shown. The record of who has won before is in every Traitors winner, US and UK. The rest of the franchise, including the US season, is on our Traitors hub.
Sources
- BBC Media Centre: The Celebrity Traitors launch episode attracts 15.7 million viewers (23 October 2026)
- The Independent: Celebrity Traitors series 2 launch and the 2026 audience
- Radio Times: Celebrity Traitors overnight ratings, 22 October (23 October 2026)
- The Standard: Yawn murder peak audience
- BBC News: Traitor behaviour splits opinion as paranoia deepens (22 October 2026)
- BBC Media Centre: Murdered and banished contestants (23 October 2026)
- The Independent: Celebrity Traitors 2026 finale date (15 October 2026)
- BBC: The Celebrity Traitors, Series 2, Finale
