Brief

Fans debate next Celebrity Traitors murder after Julie Hesmondhalgh’s banishment

Julie Hesmondhalgh’s exit fuels online speculation about the next target in the BBC reality game.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 18:02:50 GMT

BBC’s reality competition Celebrity Traitors saw Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh banished on Friday night after receiving the most votes, according to Standard.co.uk.

What happened

During the third episode, Hesmondhalgh revealed her gratitude to fellow players before being voted out by the Faithfuls. The show’s cliff‑hanger had contestants Ross Kemp, Rob Beckett, Leigh‑Anne Pinnock and Romesh Ranganathan hide in a castle crypt, while host Claudia Winkleman announced a special key could protect the holder from the Traitors. The Faithfuls chose Pinnock to hold the key.

What the reports add

Standard.co.uk noted the episode attracted a peak audience of 10.3 million viewers, making it one of the BBC’s most‑watched programmes. Fans on social media are split: some argue Kemp will be spared for narrative reasons, while others predict Rob or Romesh will be the next victim. A separate fan theory suggests Miranda Hart could be targeted after she accused Hannah of being a Traitor.

What was said

Hesmondhalgh told fellow contestants, “You know how much I have loved every second of this experience… It has been immense,” as reported by Standard.co.uk.

How it came about

Hesmondhalgh’s banishment follows Bella Ramsey’s murder in episode four and a previous key‑grant to Pinnock, events covered in Felo’s recent articles Julie Hesmondhalgh voted out and Bella Ramsey murdered. The series returns Thursday at 8 pm on BBC One.

Key facts

Julie Hesmondhalgh was banished after receiving the majority of votes (standard.co.uk)
Leigh‑Anne Pinnock was given the special key to protect Faithfuls (standard.co.uk)
The episode peaked at 10.3 million viewers (standard.co.uk)