The Traitors delivered another explosive episode on Friday night, as a chilling trial, a ruthless murder and a dramatic banishment plunged the castle into chaos.

Thursday night's episode ended in heartbreak for American actress Myha’la, who was banished from the castle after her fellow Faithfuls wrongly suspected her of being a Traitor.

Despite making a desperate last-ditch attempt to plead her innocence, the actress failed to convince her fellow contestants and was sent packing, much to the dismay of the remaining Faithfuls.

But there was no time to recover from Myha’la’s exit, as the Traitors were already plotting their next murder.

Heading into Friday's episode, the Traitors faced a tricky decision, with Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey, actor Sebastian Croft and singer-songwriter James Blunt all in the firing line.

Unfortunately for Bella, it was their time in the castle that came to a grisly end.

As Ramsey learned their fate, they said: “Oh yes. Thought this might be occurring.

“I think this is a clever move by the traitors. I was going to reset and start from the beginning because I got it so wrong with Myha’la.

“I think that they were right to murder me because I think I would have maybe figured it out.

“I hope the faithful win. I really do. I feel very very attached to the faithful now. Good night. This is the end.”

As the remaining celebrities gathered around the breakfast table the following morning, the Faithfuls were thrown into chaos as they desperately tried to unravel the Traitors' latest move.

Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh found herself under the spotlight after her seemingly over-the-top reaction to Bella's murder raised eyebrows among her fellow contestants.

It comes as Thursday night's instalment became the most-watched episode of the series so far, drawing an average of 10 million viewers and securing an impressive 60.4% audience share, according to the BBC.

The series opener peaked at 9.1 million viewers and averaged 8.9 million, while the second episode reached a peak of 8.6 million and averaged 8.5 million.

Thursday's episode saw Hollywood star Richard E Grant banished from the game after a hilariously unfortunate slip-up in the opening episode came back to haunt him.

The actor had accidentally let his secret slip during a conversation with comedian Joe Lycett, admitting that he was a Traitor in a moment that left his fellow contestants — and viewers watching at home — stunned.

Despite his best efforts to recover from the blunder, the damage had already been done, and Grant ultimately found himself facing the chop.

Tensions reached boiling point at Friday night's Round Table, as mathematician Hannah Fry and Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh found themselves firmly in the firing line.

Faithfuls Miranda Hart and King Kenny grilled Hannah over her apparent reluctance to take a shield during the trial, despite being desperate to secure one just the night before.

Meanwhile, Julie faced some tough questions of her own, as her fellow Faithfuls demanded to know why she had failed to share Bella's suspicions with the group.

But in a devastating twist, the Faithfuls turned on their ‘most trustworthy’ of contestants, with Julie receiving the most votes and being banished from the castle.

And their gamble backfired spectacularly, as Julie delivered the news they had all been dreading.

“You know how much I have loved every second of this experience," she said. "It has been immense.”

“Alas it may mean I am not a phenomenal actor. I am indeed a Faithful.”