The Prince of Wales and his family are “very much looking forward” to watching The Celebrity Traitors, the show’s executive producer has said.
Stephen Lambert receiving his OBE from the Prince of Wales(Image: PA)
The Prince of Wales and his family are eagerly anticipating the premiere of The Celebrity Traitors, which he described as a “big treat” during a conversation with TV executive Stephen Lambert at Windsor Castle. Stephen Lambert, founder and CEO of Studio Lambert – the production company behind The Traitors, was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on Wednesday.
The Celebrity Traitors, featuring a star-studded cast of 19 celebrities including comedian Alan Carr, retired Olympic diver Tom Daley, and actor and TV presenter Sir Stephen Fry, is set to launch on Wednesday. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the show involves contestants attempting to identify traitors within their ranks while completing various challenges to add to the prize pot.
If a traitor remains among the finalists at the end of the series, the faithful contestants – those who are not traitors – miss out on the prize money, which goes entirely to the traitor.
Lambert, aged 66, said: “My award is for services to television, and we started talking about Celebrity Traitors, which launches tonight. He said he and the family were very much looking forward to watching it. It was going to be a big treat for them and probably for the nation, he expected.
“And I told him about the fact that our celebrities have entered into the game with great seriousness. So, they’re not just doing it because it’s a chance for them to be celebrities on television, but because they actually love the game, but also because they are the talented people they are, so they’re also very funny, and I think it’s extremely entertaining television.”
Lambert expressed his astonishment at the calibre of individuals who showed interest in participating in the first season of Celebrity Traitors.
He commented: “Quite often when a show is announced as a celebrity version of something, many people haven’t actually heard of the celebrities that take part. In this case, nearly everybody who took part is well known. I mean people like Stephen Fry and Alan Carr and Celia Imrie, and list goes on, Clare Balding, Tom Daley, it’s extraordinary.
“They’re all people that everybody knows about. And so, I think, that if the show is as popular as we hope it is, and people like it as much as we hope they do, then there’s a good chance we’ll get equally good, if not even more famous, people the next time.”
When asked why he believes The Traitors has been such a success, he responded: “I think it’s a game that people love watching and playing. I think that the players like it because it gives them licence, if they’re the traitors, to lie.
“Quite often in reality game shows, people end up being good and bad, and the bad ones are the ones that sort of lie and are sort of devious, here, they’re given licence to do that, it’s a bit like playing poker. You know, you’re allowed to lie, and so people don’t judge you badly for being a treacherous traitor in not telling the truth.
“And I think the audience partly love it, because it’s a classic case of dramatic irony. We know what’s going on better than the players.”
Regarding his OBE honour, Lambert expressed feeling “delighted and honoured”, stating: “These things are very special. And coming to Windsor Castle, in particular, it was a great treat, there’s so much history around. And of course, this is an award for me, but also for all the people I work with who are so talented, and I think everybody shares in this recognition.”
Studio Lambert also produces Gogglebox, Race Across The World and Squid Game: The Challenge.
Lambert started his broadcasting journey at the BBC during the early 1980s, creating documentaries from across the globe, including numerous films shot in war zones.
He became the founding editor of BBC Two’s documentary series Modern Times in 1994, before moving to RDF Media in 1998 as its inaugural director of programmes, overseeing factual entertainment shows including Faking It, Wife Swap and The Secret Millionaire. Studio Lambert was established by Lambert in 2008 with support from All3Media.
The company’s initial breakthrough came with Undercover Boss, which aired for 11 seasons on CBS and secured several Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2013, Studio Lambert introduced Gogglebox to Channel 4, a series that has since become one of the network’s most cherished and long-standing shows.
More recently, they’ve produced The Traitors and Race Across The World, which have quickly risen to be among BBC One’s top-rated programmes, while Squid Game: The Challenge has achieved worldwide success on Netflix.
The company has also been behind several critically acclaimed scripted dramas, including Three Girls, The Nest, and the recent BBC Three comedy-drama, Boarders.
Lambert’s productions have garnered a dozen Bafta awards and, last year, Lambert himself was honoured with the Royal Television Society’s outstanding achievement award.
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