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Celebrity Traitors producers reportedly drop planned cliffhanger after 'unthinkable' moment

The Daily Mail and Daily Express report that Celebrity Traitors producers had to abandon planned storylines after an unexpected moment in the game. The detail rests on an unnamed source quoted by The Sun, and the BBC has not yet commented.

2 outlets · 0L · 0C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Daily Express
Image: Daily Mail

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The story, neutrally told

Right · 2Celebrity Traitors producers have reportedly had to scrap plans for the BBC show after an "unthinkable" incident, according to the Daily Express and the Daily Mail. Right · 1The Daily Mail attributes the claim to an unnamed source quoted by The Sun, who said "something so unbelievable happened that even execs didn't see it coming". The coverage does not say what the incident was. Right · 1The source said producers normally plot likely gameplay moments to serve as the cliffhangers that end episodes. After the event, bosses were reportedly "forced to throw plans out the window to accommodate the epic moment – which should make great TV".

Right · 1The Daily Mail says it has contacted the BBC for comment. No BBC response appears in the coverage, so the account is unconfirmed. Right · 1The Mail compares the moment with Richard E. Grant's gaffe, in which the actor, a Traitor, told fellow player Joe Lycett that he was a Traitor when asked "What are you?". It says this was "even more chaotic". Right · 1The second episode ended on a cliffhanger mid-round table, with host Claudia Winkleman saying "Players the time for talk is over". The Mail says viewers were left furious at the 'ridiculous' ending and did not see the players write their votes on chalkboards.

Right · 1Amol Rajan was the first player eliminated, murdered by Richard and Maya Jama. Jerry Hall and Hannah Fry quit a buried-alive mission using the code word 'haggis'. Right · 1The Mail reports that the series launch drew a record peak of just over nine million viewers, averaging 8.9 million, and beat the first live Strictly Come Dancing show.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right2 outlets

Framing
Both Daily Express and Daily Mail treat the story as a tabloid showbiz scoop. They lead with an 'unthinkable' incident that forced producers to abandon plans, and the Mail ties it to Richard E. Grant's gaffe and viewer reaction.
Emphasis
Shock and chaos, anticipation of the next episode, viewer anger at the cliffhanger, and record ratings.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither says what the incident actually was. The claim rests on one unnamed source relayed from The Sun, and no BBC response is included.
Charged language
“bombshell”“unthinkable”“forced to ditch plans”“MORE chaotic”
For example
“Celeb Traitors bombshell as 'unthinkable' incident forces show bosses to scrap huge plans” — Daily Express
“which is said to be even more chaotic than Richard E. Grant's gaffe” — Daily Mail