Jonathan Ross opens up about the "horrible" Celebrity Traitors experience that impacted Alan Carr

Jonathan Ross has revealed behind-the-scenes insight into his time on the BBC series The Celebrity Traitors, admitting that the experience was emotionally draining and saying it had a marked effect on fellow contestant Alan Carr.

During a segment on Good Morning Britain, Ross described one previously unseen moment on the show as “horrible” and noted how the game’s pressure weighed heavily on Carr.

The Celebrity Traitors — Ross’ unfiltered reflections

On The Celebrity Traitors, Ross and Carr entered as two of the designated “Traitors” among a cast of celebrities tasked with deceiving the “Faithfuls” while avoiding detection themselves.

Ross told hosts Kate Garraway and Adil Ray that late-night filming sessions and the psychological strain of lying to celebrity peers caused real discomfort. He stated:

“We could tell it was getting to him.”

Ross also explained the complexity of forming friendships while simultaneously betraying them:

“You’d be talking to these genuinely lovely people… but at the same time, you knew you might have to betray them.”

He further reflected on the toll of deception:

“I found the lying really wearing; it left me feeling increasingly uncomfortable. We were lying all the time, because you’re sharing a car in with people in the morning … you’re guarding this secret … You’re on the defence the whole time and you have to look people in the eye and lie.”

Carr ultimately emerged as the winner of The Celebrity Traitors, walking away with £87,500, which he donated to Neuroblastoma UK.

But Ross’s disclosures suggest Carr’s victory came at a notable emotional cost.

Ross said that while some contestants, such as Cat Burns, appeared to handle the game with ease, others, including Carr, struggled under the twin pressures of performance and deception.

Ross characterized the moment he referenced as “horrible” when recounting that Carr seemed to be in visible distress at one point during the filming.

The BBC show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, is filmed at a Scottish castle and combines strategy, social manipulation, and physical tasks — all of which Ross suggested heightened the stakes for the Traitors and faithless contestants alike.

The programme’s finale left viewers stunned: Carr, Ross, and Burns had navigated successive rounds of eliminations and murders on the show, culminating in Carr being declared the winner.

After the reveal, Carr admitted:

“It was tearing me apart. I was terrible at lying.”

This echoes Ross’s suggestion that the emotional toll was considerable.

Ross also said that behind the scenes, many scenes were cut from the broadcast and that producers later supplied him with a list of off-limits topics. He acknowledged:

“I’m not allowed to talk about the stuff that’s edited out, which I can understand why.”

This indicates that his “horrible” moment may be among those unseen by the televised audience.

For Carr, whose donation of the prize to Neuroblastoma UK was widely praised, the show’s competitive façade belied a deeper personal journey.

Ross’s comments shine a light on the fact that even in a reality-game format built for entertainment, the psychological impact on contestants can be real and profound.

In his reflections, Ross offered guidance to others approached for subsequent seasons of The Celebrity Traitors.

He admitted his experience left him with reservations and said that some of his own celebrity friends asked him whether the show was “good to do, is it bad to do?” He answered candidly:

“I didn’t enjoy it.”

By opening up about the emotional strain, Ross has added a new layer to the public understanding of The Celebrity Traitors — one where the victory ties and eliminations are only part of the story, and where the human cost behind the game cannot be ignored.

Stay tuned for more updates.