Celebrity Traitors: BBC Suffers Setbacks with Lorraine Kelly and Daisy May Cooper Exiting

Image credits: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Women of the Year

The BBC's Celebrity Traitors, a spin-off of the popular reality TV show The Traitors, has faced a series of setbacks in recent weeks. Lorraine Kelly, a well-known TV presenter, has reportedly declined an invitation to join the show due to conflicting commitments in her TV schedule. Despite being "flattered" by the offer, Kelly was unable to commit to the show, which is set to be filmed in the Scottish Highlands. This news comes after Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie, creators and stars of the award-winning mockumentary series This Country, also pulled out of the show due to family reasons.

The show's format, which involves a group of contestants living together in a castle and trying to eliminate each other without being detected, has been a huge success for the BBC. The celebrity version of the show is expected to feature a star-studded lineup, with names such as Stephen Fry, Tom Daley, and Clare Balding rumored to be taking part. However, the show's producers have been keen to cast a famous duo for the celebrity series, after the popularity of paired contestants in previous series. Celebrity contestants such as EastEnders icon Danny Dyer, Jonathan Ross, and Alan Carr have been approached to take part in the series, although the BBC has not released the official cast list as of yet.

According to reports, the BBC are keen to cast household names for the celebrity series, and have been inundated with requests from agents trying to get their clients a spot on the show. However, the show's producers have made it clear that they are only looking for high-profile celebrities, and are not interested in casting reality TV stars. This has led to some controversy, with some fans expressing disappointment that the show will not feature a more diverse range of contestants. The show is expected to be filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, and will be hosted by Claudia Winkleman.

The list of potential contestants for the show includes:

• Stephen Fry
• Tom Daley
• Clare Balding
• Danny Dyer
• Jonathan Ross
• Alan Carr
• Jennifer Saunders
• Paloma Faith
• Ricky Gervais

Despite the setbacks, the BBC remains committed to producing a high-quality show that will appeal to fans of the original series. The Celebrity Traitors is expected to be a huge success, and will likely attract a large and dedicated audience. With its unique format and star-studded lineup, the show is sure to be a hit with viewers, and will provide plenty of drama and suspense as the contestants compete against each other to win the cash prize.