Jeremy Clarkson has questioned how The Traitors is made, admitting he “doesn’t believe it’s all for real” despite being a fan of the hit BBC series.
The show, fronted by Claudia Winkleman, has become one of the broadcaster’s biggest success stories, with the celebrity edition’s debut drawing more than 15 million viewers.
A fourth civilian series arrives on New Year’s Day, with the next celebrity run expected later in 2026.
Speaking ahead of a festive Who Wants To Be A Millionaire special, Clarkson, 65, said he suspects producers must “manipulate” elements of the format to ensure the gameplay stays on track and the prize pot remains at stake.
“Come on, I’ve worked in television for 30 years,” he said. “You’re not going to spend that much money on a programme where there’s a risk it all falls to pieces.
“So I’ve no idea how they’re doing it, but I bow down to them.”
Pressed on whether he believed producers were influencing the action behind the scenes, he added: “They must be - and I'm not just being a cynic, I know how television is made.
“You can't actually say to a contestant, ‘say this’ and ‘say that’, you can't but I just don’t believe it’s all for real, because nothing in television is. I’m sitting there going, ‘How are they doing this?" It could just be unbelievably painstaking editing.’”
While Clarkson called the programme a “belter”, he ruled out ever joining the line-up of a celebrity series, though he joked that his former Top Gear co-host Richard Hammond might be tempted.
His insight comes as TV juggernaut The Traitors announced it will return to screens on New Year’s Day, the BBC has confirmed.
The fourth series follows hot on the heels of the debut series of the celebrity spin-off, which was won by comedian Alan Carr.
The first episode of the new series will air at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer on January 1, with the second episode airing on January 2.
Claudia Winkleman will return to the Scottish Highlands to front the show, which sees a new batch of faithful civilians attempt to weed out the murderous traitors before the prize pot is snatched away.
Some 22 new contestants will try to win up to £120,000 and the BBC has promised “even more twists, turns, secrets, epic missions, deception, banishments and, of course, murders aplenty”.
