The Celebrity Traitors has proven to be an iconic, cross-generational television event that brings us all together. The series pits A-list celebs against each other in a high-stakes game of lies, secrets and fun! Since its premiere, it has drawn a huge audience, leading to a final with 11 million viewers—a record 11 million overnight average audience for the year. The Celebrity Traitors perfectly marries old school linear TV with today’s fun on social media. This interesting format and its compelling content have made it a big hit for the BBC, particularly during a time when the public facing network is looking to reach younger audiences.
Jon Willers A Media Consultant, Marketer, and former Missoula In History TV underscore the importance of the show’s success. He can’t make this clear enough, marking the tremendous disruption toward which he foresees the broadcasting industry heading. He notes that The Celebrity Traitors not only entertains but engages various audience segments, making it a vital case study for media reinvention.
The Celebrity Traitors executive producer Katy Fox highlighted the “always on” hook of The Celebrity Traitors. Describing its live broadcasts like a sporting event, she reasoned that this format fosters a sense of urgency and immediacy to engage with content in real-time. The show’s interactive nature is further amplified by an official podcast, numerous short clips, and a plethora of fan-generated memes and content circulating across various platforms.
“The idea of the whole family stopping what they’re doing and sitting round the telly to share in a hugely positive, joyous show is exactly what you hope for as producers.” – Katy Fox
The Celebrity Traitors started out as a homegrown Dutch format, but rapidly took flight on a grassroots level. Its ability to appeal to and connect with audiences of all ages has made it a cultural touchstone in the UK. Kate Phillips, the BBC’s chief content officer, outlined her vision for programming that embodies what she refers to as “the 3Gs,” or three generations of viewers—grandparents, parents, and children—watching together.
“What I want is shows that have the 3Gs at their heart,” – Kate Phillips
The show’s format encourages family viewing, allowing younger audiences to share experiences with older relatives. Phillips observed that young people enjoy watching shows alongside their parents and grandparents, creating a shared cultural experience that has become increasingly rare in modern television.
Casting a diverse array of celebrities is something Katy Fox feels very strongly about. This proved to be a successful tactic for attracting and engaging older residents.
“We’ve always believed that The Traitors is a format that can appeal to every generation, and have always tried to reflect that in our casting,” – Katy Fox
The Celebrity Traitors combines old-school TV with new-school social media to thrilling effect. It has created clever strategic partnerships, such as one with TikTok, which links the platform directly to BBC’s iPlayer. This fresh new strategy taps directly into the latest trends in how people are watching, as younger generations are often viewing content on social media platforms and apps.
Evan Shapiro, a Hollywood producer, noted that The Celebrity Traitors mirrors successful formats like Dancing with the Stars by integrating creators into its framework. This strategy goes a long way in keeping younger viewers tuned in and serves to enhance the show’s greater aesthetic and emotional foundation.
“Celebrity Traitors collected a truly fascinating cross-section of entertainment culture in the UK and then leaned heavily into creator ethos – clipping the show ad nauseam, encouraging user-generated content.” – Evan Shapiro
The show’s effects are evident as the numbers tell an incredible story. According to Digital i’s research, 81% of 16-24s were watching linear TV at the time The Celebrity Traitors goes out. That’s a great indication of a major change in younger audiences viewing habits. This success is of immense symbolic and emotional value for the BBC. They’ve expressed concerns that they need to focus on capturing the interest of Gen Zers.
Peter Fincham, co-CEO
Expectation
It’s mainly about word-of-mouth marketing — that usually is the biggest thing for driving viewership for The Celebrity Traitors. He pointed out that when there’s a real dialogue about a show, it reaches a much deeper level of involvement.
“The most powerful form of marketing is always going to be word of mouth. It’s in the conversation at home, at work, at school.” – Peter Fincham
He elaborated on how The Celebrity Traitors typifies a very old-school kind of mainstream hit that delights nearly everyone in its wake today.
“When that happens, you get young people watching. What is maybe a little bit more unusual in the modern age is what you would call an old-fashioned, mainstream hit that gets everybody talking.” – Peter Fincham
The show’s unique format is a perfect mirror of the continuing revolution around how we consume television. Especially as it continues to engage old-school, linear audiences. The Celebrity Traitors maximizes intergenerational appeal while uniquely leveraging the power of social media. In turn, it has established itself as a prime example for what future programming should look like.