‘Maya Jama is a revelation on Celebrity Traitors after her genius stunt’ – Amol Rajan

Maya Jama has been a revelation on Celebrity Traitors, Amol Rajan writes (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) My daughters, who are seven, five and three, keep asking me the same two questions about this series. Who’s winning, Daddy? And why isn’t it you? The second question is harder than the first. I have to lie. I can’t say, ‘Well girls, the trouble for your old man is that he crossed paths, and swords, with an icon called Richard E Grant, but made the mistake of referring to him as Withnail, so Withnail sent him to an early grave. But hey, maybe they’ll do a “Back From the Dead” series, so it ain’t over until it’s over.’ The first question is easy. So far, it’s my mate Maya Jama. You do know her, don’t you? Maybe you think you do, as the glamorous host of Love Island with a massive following on social media. But that’s not the Maya I got to know in person. One of the genius moves by the producers this year is that they announced the line-up three days before we started filming. That gave us time to research each other. No matter what others might say, we all did it. I started a diary in which I wrote little profiles, with potential talking points and tactics for each player. Pathetic, I know. It wasn’t a very full diary. But Maya was a revelation. Lovely and humble, she has no airs and graces. At one point she stared intently at my sunglasses. I was taken aback. Was this flirtation? Er, no. It turned out she’d spotted a bit of a dry lip in the reflection and wanted to remove it. She’s so funny like that. And the woman I encountered was so smart and self-deprecating that it really brought home to me the eternal truth that you don’t know anyone from their public profile. That’s what makes this series so brilliant. Each player’s reputation precedes them. Maya’s feigned innocence is working wonders for her (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Amol shares his thoughts on the latest Traitor antics (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Get even more Traitors gossip Want to get all the latest news and predictions for the best and most dramatic show this new year? Sign up to our TV Daily newsletter to get a personalised selection of the hottest takes, latest theories and big behind-the-scenes news every morning. Don't to forget to select 'The Traitors' when you enter your email. Or join our The Traitors WhatsApp channel for live episode coverage, juicy gossip and a place to recover from all the cliffhangers. Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! Who could have known that Maya would inhabit her villainous role so totally? Right now, she has zero heat on her. Her little stunt, feigning innocence to get a shield, was genius. And she has ruthlessly banished fellow Traitors twice (Richard and Hannah). Clever. I think Jerry Hall’s different. Pure class too, of course. We got on famously in the car journeys, where she constantly issued that wonderful laugh of hers, and detailed her passion for horticulture. But there is something ethereal about Jerry, floating above it all. She is obviously very shrewd, but I think her energy is lean back, whereas Maya’s is lean in. King Kenny was the star of last week. I texted him to say I hope he enjoys watching his recruitment: nobody has ever enjoyed their selection as much as dear old Kenny who, by the way, is probably the most famous contestant in the series to the YouTube generation. His tactics at the roundtable have been masterful – even that early gambit on Joe Lycett, asking if his dream of recruitment had materialised. Masterful, confident delivery with that deflection tactic, Ken. King Kenny’s entrance in the Turret was an incredible highlight (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Sebastian ‘Bash’ Croft knows this game inside out (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Now that Maya has a Traitor in the turret who (unlike James Acaster) actually wants to be there, I think this could be a strong team. Don’t forget, by the way, how competitive Kenny is: he’s a top boxer as well as YouTube giant. Just remember that, at this stage of the game, nothing happens by accident. Sebastian ‘Bash’ Croft is truly obsessed with the game of Traitors, and a very talented actor. He’s taking it all in, and choosing his interventions very carefully. So too Michael Sheen, Sharon Rooney and Romesh Ranganathan. Here’s a naughty thought going into tonight. In her brilliant interview for Uncloaked after she was banished, Professor Hannah Fry revealed a killer insight from her analysis of previous series: Traitors never, ever hang out together. And yet… that’s exactly what James, Maya and Kenny did at the end of the last episode. It was a beautiful example of how ‘murder in plain sight’ elevates the game to another level. Might it have occasioned the Traitors’ first huge blunder? Other than Richard admitting he was a Traitor, that is. Amol Rajan is host of The Amol Rajan Connection on YouTube, Amazon, Spotify and Apple. Sign up for his free weekly newsletter at amolrajanconnection.com Deals of the Day See London's Christmas lights from an open-top double-decker bus this winter My skin always suffers when the heating goes on but this serum changed that The skincare formula that finally took the guesswork out of my routine Families can save up to 20% on summer 2027 holidays in Club Med's four-day sale Cold mornings are coming and this is the dressing gown I want to live in Celebrity Traitors airs on Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. 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