BBC have reportedly been forced to double its £1M Celebrity Traitors budget for its second and most star-studded series yet.
The A-list line-up was officially announced when the broadcaster dropped the first teaser trailer on Saturday with the likes of Maya Jama, Richard E Grant, Jerry Hall, Romesh Ranganathan and Ross Kemp also heading to the Scottish castle.
The increased budget was already obvious pictures emerged of the stars touching down in the highlands after travelling via planes and private jets, while last year many contestants were said to have travelled on the train.
Meanwhile the likes of Alan Carr and Sir Stephen Fry were also said to have been ferried around during last year’s series in a minibus, which has now been swapped for chauffeur driven cars.
Money has also been spent on beefing up security to keep the stars safe and the castle’s goings on under wraps ahead of transmission later this year.
A source said: ‘Although most of the stars are British, so many of them are used to working in America that their teams are used to the treatment’.
BBC have reportedly been forced to double its £1M Celebrity Traitors budget for its second and most star-studded series yet (Maya Jama)
The increased budget was already obvious pictures emerged of the stars touching down in the highlands after travelling via planes and private jets (Jerry Hall pictured)
They told The Sun: ‘The production team have little choice, however, than to cater for their demands because they accept the number of A-listers taking part in this year’s show makes it exceptional.’
Daily Mail have contacted BBC for comment.
Maya Jama was pictured arriving at Inverness airport on Sunday afternoon, reportedly taking a huge pay cut to appear on series two of the BBC show.
Hours earlier Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh and EastEnders star Ross Kemp, 61, also touched down, before jumping into their cars to head to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands.
Singer James Blunt then followed on a few hours after.
Dressed down in a white t-shirt and cream trousers, Maya wore sunglasses and flashed a nervous-looking smile at airport staff.
Comedian Joanne McNally was also seen on the same flight, dressed in cycling shorts and also hiding behind some dark shades as she wheeled her luggage to the car.
Maya was reportedly the first star to be approached by Celebrity Traitors bosses in a bid to pull in a younger audience.
Last year’s stars were also said to have been ferried around in a minibus, which has now been swapped for chauffeur driven cars (Miranda Hart pictured)
EastEnders legend Ross Kemp was pictured arriving at Inverness airport on Sunday morning, ready to film series two of Celebrity Traitors
Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh was also seen climbing into her car ready to head to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands
The TV star was top of the producers’ wish list due to her ability to pull in a younger audience thanks to her Love Island hosting duties.
The 31-year-old was more than willing to take a huge £760,000 pay cut compared to her fee hosting the ITV dating show.
She is said to have taken the £40,000 rate after falling in love with the series while watching it with her boyfriend Rúben Dias.
A source told The Sun: ‘She loved watching the first Celebrity Traitors series at home with boyfriend Rúben and is so excited to get filming. She can’t wait to do some fibbing and be as deceitful as possible to try to win it’.
‘It has worked out perfectly that she can go straight from the Scottish castle to the villa in Majorca to film the summer Love Island series in June’.
A source said: ‘Although most of the stars are British, so many of them are used to working in America that their teams are used to the treatment’
The Celebrity Traitors series two cast was officially revealed on Saturday morning as the BBC dropped the first teaser trailer
The Celebrity Traitors series two cast was officially announced when the BBC dropped the first teaser trailer on Saturday, with Jerry Hall also seen heading to the castle over the weekend.
Shortly after the announcement, Jerry was spotted touching down in Inverness alongside Richard E Grant, Bella Ramsey and Amol Rajan, before jumping in cars to head to the Scottish Highlands.
After months of speculation over who could be following in the iconic footsteps of last year’s winner Alan Carr, in a quirky new trailer the 21 names were finally revealed.
Also heading to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands are Michael Sheen and James Blunt.
Comedians Rob Beckett, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart and James Acaster will also be joined by Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
The Celebrity Traitors line-up 2026
Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall rose to fame in the 1970s and became one of the era’s most recognisable fashion icons (pictured in October)
Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant celebrated for his roles in everything from cult classic Withnail & I to modern flicks such as Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Pictured in November)
James Blunt
James Blunt shot to global fame with his debut album and the hit single ‘You’re Beautiful’
Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp who recently returned to EastEnders to reprise his role as hardman Grant Mitchell, is said to be wanting to ‘challenge himself’
Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen is celebrated for his incredible performances across stage and screen, particularly his work in Good Omens and The Queen
Rob Beckett
Best friend of fellow Traitors star Romesh, Rob Beckett is known for his high-energy and booming laugh
Sharon Rooney
Sharon Rooney is best known for her breakout role as Rae Earl in the acclaimed series My Mad Fat Diary
Joanne McNally
Joanne McNally is known for her brutally honest humour and hilarious takes on dating, chaos, and modern life
Amol Rajan
Journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan has carved out a successful career across major UK media, including radio and television
King Kenny
King Kenny, whose real name is Kenny Ojuederie, is a content creator known for prank videos and street-style social experiments
Sebastian Croft
Sebastian Croft is best known for his breakout role as Ben Hope in the Netflix series Heartstopper
Maya Jama
Maya Jama, 31, is quickly becoming one of the UK’s most popular stars and famously fronts Love Island.
Miranda Hart
Miranda Hart broke through with her hit sitcom Miranda which became a resounding success and cemented her as a comedy legend
Romesh Ranganathan
Romesh Ranganathan has been taking British TV by storm in recent years is known for his deadpan delivery
James Acaster
James Acaster is good friends with Ed Gamble who hosts The Traitors: Uncloaked. The duo present the hit food podcast Off Menu with Ed Gamble
Bella Ramsey
Bella Ramsey rose to fame as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones and gained global acclaim for their leading role in The Last Of Us
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Leigh-Anne Pinnock is known as a member of the girl group Little Mix, who found fame on The X Factor back in 2011
Joe Lycett
From headline-grabbing TV stunts to cleverly staged public pranks, Joe Lycett has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most inventive and unpredictable comics
Hannah Fry
Mathematician and broadcaster Hannah Fry is known for turning complex data into content which is engaging and accessible to viewers
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh is best known for her long-running role as Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street, which made history as the first transgender character in a British soap opera
Myha’la
Myha’la is known for her striking portrayal of brutal fintech expert Harper Stern in the HBO drama Industry
