Celebrity Traitors faces ‘sexism’ row as fans question female banishments days after ‘unconscious racism’ claims

Disgruntled fans have pointed out that whichever of Ms Rooney or Ms McNally is voted off the show, it will mean five of seven roundtables have resulted in a woman being sent home.

Faithfuls Myha’la Herrold, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Jerry Hall, along with Traitor Professor Hannah Fry, have all been voted off at the roundtables so far.

By contrast, the only male contestants to face banishment, Richard E Grant and Joe Lycett, both effectively crafted their own departures.

Mr Grant openly confessed to being a Traitor, while Mr Lycett publicly declared his desire to be recruited by the Traitors’ ranks.

The disparity prompted fans to take to social media over the weekend, with many accusing the male players of disproportionately targeting women at the roundtable.

On X, in a post that has gone viral and been viewed over 180k times at the time of writing, one viewer wrote: “They’ve only banished two men at the table, one who told them he was a Traitor and one they knew wanted to be a Traitor.

“I’ve honestly never noticed the sexism as much in the past. So many men leading the charge against women (apart from the one who’s very beautiful of course). So many patterns of behaviour women recognise from their working life.”

Fellow fans flocked to the post to voice their own concerns. One viewer argued that Ms Rooney had attracted suspicion precisely because she began to speak out, tweeting: “Maya getting through without challenge as she’s pretty and quiet, Sharon finds her voice, but that is seen as suspicious for her to voice opinions.”

Another posted: “The way all the women in that castle clocked the pattern before the men even noticed it says everything about who actually reads the room.”

“It’s the same as the ‘racism’,” a third weighed in, referring to Ms Herrold’s claims of “unconscious racial and cultural bias”. “It’s not plain and obvious straight racism and sexism but it’s a reflection of society where it’s just unconsciously ingrained in the majority of people.”

And a fourth concurred: “Yeah, I picked up on how it’s only women (apart from the two you said) who have been banished from the round tables. Even the ones currently who are receiving heat from the round table are all women. None of the men have really received any heat at all.”

Not all viewers were persuaded by the sexism narrative, however. Some pointed out that the banishment votes were not cast exclusively by men, with one tweeting: “So the women participate in sexism against themselves as they vote too?”

Another dismissed the controversy entirely, writing: “Never noticed it – people should just enjoy the show and not forever be so sensitive to whoever is voted out. Can’t vote someone out just in case you are being accused of being sexist etc. You know they could just be hopeless Faithfuls.”

The sexism debate is not the first controversy to engulf this series, with the aforementioned Ms Herrold sparking controversy by claiming “unconscious racial bias” was part of the show’s format.

The American actress, best known for the drama Industry, was voted out after players grew suspicious of her apparent closeness to confirmed Traitor Mr Grant, with some catching her winking at him as he departed.

In response to a viewer who claimed she had been banished because of her race, Ms Herrold defended her co-stars, insisting they “in no way consciously put bias on me because of my race.” She acknowledged she had “sealed my own fate” through her own gameplay decisions, including concealing a shield she had discovered.

However, she added that “unconscious racial and cultural bias exists in this game where my authenticity or honesty or the ways in which I choose to express myself look suspicious to people who are unfamiliar with people like me.”

Speaking to GB News, former Traitor Paul Gorton, who starred in season two of the BBC series, dismissed the suggestion, claiming anyone could “find a narrative” on the programme.

“I think a lot of TV series, and especially in these more extreme circumstances, you can find a narrative and fit a narrative to fit anything,” Mr Gorton told The People’s Channel.

“I could say because I was such a big personality people came at me. I could say it was because I’m ginger, I could say it because I’m really tall, I could say because I was voted most popular… You can find anything that comes back to you.”

The reality TV star even went on to suggest that being banished from the show, as Ms Herrold was, is a “compliment”.

“It’s a game… In my opinion, the biggest compliment you can pay to a Faithful is killing them; it’s getting rid of them,” he explained.

Another Traitors alum, Nathan Khider, similarly refuted Ms Herrold’s claims. “I understand what she’s saying, but it is a game, and I think everyone’s just playing the game and it’s nothing to do with race,” Mr Khider told GB News.

“You can’t wink at somebody around the roundtable and not get some heat on you. I mean, it’s so blatantly obvious.

“So look… she’s got to take it on the chin. Bad loser. Get on with it. You’ve gone into a game, and you have to accept the consequences.

“It’s a game, and you’ve made a rod for your own back, unfortunately,” Mr Khider added.

GB News has contacted the BBC for comment.