By Niomi Harris, Showbusiness Reporter
Published: 17:49 BST, 17 October 2026 | Updated: 07:21 BST, 18 October 2026
Celebrity Traitors star Joe Lycett has called for a major rule change following his dramatic banishment during Friday night’s episode of the hit reality television show. The 38-year-old comedian sealed his own fate at the tense round table discussion when he made a costly verbal slip-up that heavily implied he was operating as a Traitor, ultimately prompting the majority of the celebrity cast to cast their votes against him and send him packing.
The charismatic star had already accumulated considerable heat among his fellow players after openly and repeatedly declaring his desire to be recruited by the clandestine group of Traitors. Many of his co-stars had begun to suspect that his wish might actually have been granted, turning him into an early target during the high-stakes social experiment.
Appearing on the BBC spin-off show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked following his dramatic exit from the main castle, Joe made it abundantly clear that his appetite for deception had not waned. Despite having just been banished for allegedly being part of the inner circle, he urged the production team and the show’s format to make an unprecedented exception just for him.
When pressed by the host to offer some words of motivation or strategic advice to the remaining celebrities as they continue their intense hunt for the remaining members of the treacherous group, Joe instead used the platform to lobby for his own return to the game.
He remarked on the companion show: ‘Absolutely, I’d like to motivate the Traitors to find an unknown clause in the contract that can bring back a Faithful that’s been banished to recruit because I’m there if they want me!’
However, despite his lighthearted lobbying for a dramatic comeback clause, the television personality did manage to offer a genuine piece of strategic advice for his fellow Faithfuls who were left behind to navigate the treacherous psychological landscape of the round table voting process.
Offering a critique of the group’s herd mentality, he advised: ‘I would say to the Faithful that they need to stop voting in a block and experiment with voting with their heart and their instincts, rather than following what happens at the Round Table, because that might reap more rewards.’
Joe’s departure came after a protracted campaign in which he repeatedly, and perhaps too openly, called for the actual Traitors to recruit him into their ranks following the banishment of fellow contestant Hannah Fry. In the days leading up to his exit, the comedian spoke candidly to multiple players about his ambitions of crossing the aisle from Faithful to Traitor.
Despite his overt campaign, he did not get to realize his ultimate dream during the game, as the active Traitors—revealed to be Maya Jama and James Acaster—ultimately chose to bypass him and recruit King Kenny instead during the night’s clandestine operations.
When the exhausted contestants gathered the following morning for breakfast in the castle, they were well aware that a recruitment had taken place in the shadows. Eager to project his innocence and perhaps deflect any lingering suspicion, Joe was quick to declare to the room: ‘It wasn’t me!’
Unfortunately for the comedian, his protestations rang hollow against the backdrop of his behavior from the previous evening. Having made zero secret of his desire to switch sides and join the secret alliance, the other players were primed to view his actions through a lens of extreme suspicion.
The tension culminated at the round table, where Joe received the crushing majority of the votes after committing an epic and undeniable slip-up during a complex tactical argument.
Attempting to explain the mechanics of the game and the potential motivations behind the previous night’s murder and recruitment cycle, Joe argued: ‘Let’s say they were down to two last night and they recruited, there’s so much heat on me for what I was doing last night that there’s a good chance that I’ll go tonight, which means that they will then have to recruit again tonight, denying them of murder.’
The convoluted defense immediately caught the attention of singer and fellow contestant James Blunt, who seized upon the phrasing to expose a fatal flaw in Joe’s logic. James pointed out: ‘I thought you said, if they banish me tonight, they will have to recruit another person tomorrow, which would imply…’
That single, revealing linguistic misstep sent a wave of confusion and realization sweeping around the round table, effectively sealing Joe’s fate and guaranteeing that the majority of the group would write his name down on their slates.
Yet, even as the castle turned against him, the round table produced moments of genuine emotional connection. His loyal new pal, comedy veteran Miranda Hart, stubbornly refused to participate in the consensus, letting her personal affection for Joe override the strict tactical demands of the game.
‘Forgive me for doing the cardinal rule of letting emotion get to me; I’ve put Ross,’ Hart confessed to the group as everyone around the table burst out laughing, while Ross Kemp looked visibly concerned and taken aback by the unexpected vote.
Turning her attention directly to Joe, Miranda added by way of explanation: ‘I physically couldn’t write your name down.’
Standing before the assembled group for his final farewells after the votes were tallied, Joe maintained his trademark humor and grace, reflecting warmly on his brief but memorable time in the Scottish castle.
Addressing his fellow contestants, Joe said: ‘Absolutely loved it. Like a total dream.’
He added, striking a sentimental tone: ‘I do sort of feel like we are all a family now and, as such, expect to be in all of your wills. Very sad to be going, but what a wonderful group of people.’
Summarizing his journey through the psychological reality competition, Joe concluded with a final nod to his unfulfilled ambitions: ‘I always wanted to start as a Faithful and end as a Traitor. I started as a Faithful, and I did not get my wish. I am a Faithful.’
