Clare Balding is one of the stars to be rumoured to take part in the UK’s first celebrity version of The Traitors after the BBC confirmed they had commissioned the show

Clare Balding has shared her fondness for The Traitors after rumours she might be joining the first celebrity edition in the UK.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the BBC had greenlit a star-studded version of the popular game show. The series, which labels participants as either Faithful or Traitor, quickly became a sensation.

Among the Faithfuls, there are Traitors who aim to oust the rest of the Faithfuls to claim the cash prize. The second series, which aired in January this year, saw Traitor Harry Clark emerge victorious.

Speculation is rife about which celebrities will be heading to the Scottish castle, with Clare’s name being bandied about alongside Paloma Faith, Stephen Fry, Robert Preston, Daisy May Cooper and Tom Daley.

Clare Balding has let slip her fondness for The Traitors after rumours she might be joining the first celebrity edition in the UK (Image: ITV)

During her appearance on Loose Women on Friday (November 1), the panelists Charlene White, Frankie Bridge, Nadia Sawalha and Judi Love probed the broadcaster about the rumours, reports the Mirror.

Host Charlene cleverly avoided asking Clare directly if she was joining the show, instead asking the Celebrity Gogglebox star if she enjoyed watching it. Clare responded: “I love the show. Don’t you? ” It’s so interesting.

Clare says she “loves” The Traitors (Image: ITV)
“The programme has already seen two series in the US – one featuring both celebrities and members of the public, and a second exclusively starring celebrities. That series included big names like former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow and Love Island star Ekin-Su Culculoglu.

Both the American versions were shot at the same estate as the UK’s edition. The Traitors quickly became a fan favourite following its 2022 debut in Britain, with the series two climax in January 2024 attracting nearly seven million viewers.

Speculation is rife about which celebrities will be heading to the Scottish castle with host host Claudia Winkleman (Image: BBC/Studio Lambert Associates/Mark Mainz)

The franchise has scooped up multiple accolades, including bagging a TV Bafta, securing a National Television Award, and clinching an Royal Television Society award.

BBC’s head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight, commented: “The Traitors has well and truly established itself as an unmissable highlight of the year and the news of a fourth outing, alongside a brand new celebrity version coming to the BBC, will take the series to a whole new level. It will once again be fascinating for our audiences to see who’ll outwit, outplay, and outlast. Let the mind games begin!”