The Traitors is known for its surprise twists and savage gameplay – and BBC bosses are taking desperate measures to keep the star-studded cast under wraps after a string of leaks.
According to The Sun, executives have put in place a military-style operation to transport the all-star cast to Ardross Castle.
Instead of flying into Inverness Airport from their homes across the globe, the celebrities will travel by several means including rail, air, car, and boat.
And a no-fly zone is officially in place over host Claudia Winkleman’s, 53, Highlands HQ to stop drone pH๏τographers from securing any images.
A source told the publication: ‘For a show with secrecy and shocking plot twists at its heart, navigating the celebrity version has been a real puzzler.
‘Casting the likes of TV presenter Kate Garraway, former rugby star Joe Marler, and singer Paloma Faith creates a situation which is a lot more open to leaks and gossip than recruiting a call centre manager from Liverpool or a retired opera singer.
The Traitors is known for its surprise twists and savage gameplay. And BBC bosses are taking desperate measures to keep the star-studded cast under wraps after a string of leaks (Claudia Winkleman pictured)
According to The Sun, executives have put in place a military-style operation to transport the all-star cast to Ardross Castle
‘So execs have worked really hard to lock down every inch of the production.’
The source added that instead of a simple travel process, celebrities will arrive via various methods of transport.
The source also claimed that a no-fly zone has already been put in place to stop any preparations from being snapped.
A spokesperson for the BBC declined to comment.
Last month, the spin-off show suffered yet another huge blow after an ‘ITV legend pulled out of the game show last minute’.
Lorraine Kelly, 65, was allegedly in ‘secret talks’ with bosses after being ‘flattered’ when she was approached by producers.
But sadly the presenter was forced to pull out after her busy schedule clashed with the filming for the show.
Instead of flying into Inverness Airport from their homes across the globe, the celebrities will travel by several means including rail, air, car, and boat (Stephen Fry who is rumoured to be taking part pictured)
And a no-fly zone is officially in place over host Claudia Winkleman’s, 53, Highlands HQ to stop drone pH๏τographers from securing any images
The H๏τly-anticipated celebrity version of the BBC show will see stars going head-to-head in the psychological game.
A source told The Sun: ‘BBC bosses were really keen to sign Lorraine Kelly up for Celebrity Traitors.
‘She loves the show and was super flattered to be asked, so she had a meeting with them which went really well.
‘Producers were hoping she would sign on the dotted line, but in the end, Lorraine couldn’t make it work with her schedule at the moment so had to pᴀss.’
A spokesperson for The Traitors said: ‘The Traitors is a game that includes lies and deception, thus it would be foolhardy for any Faithful to speculate before the game has begun.’
MailOnline has contacted ITV for a comment.
It is also rumoured Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie had to quit the series over her commitments to her family.
Meanwhile, an EastEnders icon has been tipped for Celebrity Traitors with bookies revealing the big names that could be set to join the game show.
Lorraine Kelly, 65, was allegedly in ‘secret talks’ with bosses after being ‘flattered’ when she was approached by producers (pictured in February)
But sadly the presenter was forced to pull out after her busy schedule clashed with the filming for the show (pictured in January)
EastEnders icon Danny Dyer has been tipped for Celebrity Traitors with bookies revealing the big names that could be set to join the game show (pictured last year)
Elsewhere, it is rumoured Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie had to quit the series over ‘schedule concerns’ (pictured 2023)
Danny Dyer, 47, reportedly has 4/9 odds of taking part, while Stephen Fry has 1/3 odds, figures obtained by The Mirror from Gambling.com show.
Other stars that could be set to join the cast include Clare Balding (4/6), Tom Daley (Evens), Ricky Gervais (11/10) and Jonathan Ross (11/8). Alan Carr, Jennifer Saunders and Paloma Faith.
Producers of the reality TV show were said to be desperate to bag the EastEnders star – but he has form for turning down such gigs.
Danny has repeatedly said no to reality TV stints, including for both ITV’s I’m A Celebrity and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
When the much-anticipated celebrity version of The Traitors films, the line-up will not feature any reality TV stars – despite the persistence of their agents.
The Mail on Sunday reported in December that the show has been inundated with requests to include less well-known names from shows such as The Only Way Is EsSєx and Love Island.
An industry source said the phones had been ‘ringing non-stop’ with agents trying to get their D-list clients a prime seat at The Traitors’ notorious Round Table – and the primetime exposure and publicity it would guarantee them.
The H๏τly-anticipated celebrity version of the BBC show will see stars going head-to-head in the psychological game (Host Claudia pictured)
Read More Celebrity Traitors suffers another huge blow as ‘ITV legend pulls out of game show after secret talks’
But only bona fide celebrities and genuine household names will make the cut.
The source said: ‘The team behind The Traitors have never seen anything like it. Ever since the celebrity series was announced in the summer, the phones have been ringing non-stop with agents desperate to pitch their talent for the show.
‘But it has been made loud and clear that they only want high-profile household names and aren’t looking for the usual fodder from the reality TV circuit.’
The show, which is filmed at the atmospheric Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands and is hosted by Claudia, splits the cast into Faithfuls and a small handful of Traitors.
The Traitors must conspire to eliminate the Faithfuls by ‘killing’ one every night – without being identified – to get their hands on a cash prize.
Previous episodes of The Traitors are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.