Joanne McNally has warned that the comedians entering the Celebrity Traitors castle together will have no qualms about turning on one another in the fight to win.

The comedian, 43, is among 21 stars taking part in the second series of the BBC show, which returns this week.

With six comedians in this year's line-up, including McNally, James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan, there will be plenty of familiar faces in the castle.

But McNally says viewers should not expect the comedians to stick together, despite many of them knowing each other well.

She said they were “more than willing to throw each other under the bus” and would “absolutely kill each other off for the craic”.

Asked about signing up for the series, McNally said her main drive was for the “social circle”.

“It’s all about the celebrity WhatsApp group. And what an eclectic cast we have. Like you couldn’t predict it. It’s like lining up all my ex-boyfriends. There’s no consistency to it at all. I love it. It’s so frantic. It kind of has a bit of everything.”

Aiming to be chosen as a Traitor, McNally said she was “quietly competitive”.

“I’m great at spotting lies. I can read body language, and I’ve dealt with a lot of snakes,” she said.

The comedian added that her friend and My Therapist Ghosted Me podcast co-host Vogue Williams encouraged her to do whatever it takes to go far in the game.

“She’s delighted. She’s like, get it, girl! She said it would be really funny if I went in fully two-faced. It’s not a bad game plan,” she said.

Beckett, 40, said he would probably find being on the show “hilarious”.

“It’s just so surreal to be around that group of people, and to be with a few people I know,” he said.

“Romesh, obviously everyone knows we’re such good friends, but Joe Lycett and James Acaster, I did gigs with them nearly 20 years ago, in pubs in Soho in front of eight people, and now all of a sudden we’re in this situation.

“So it’s quite a reflective moment to consider this journey we’ve all gone on to now be on the biggest show on TV.

“Everyone wants to be on it, and we’re very lucky to be here and to be here with friends and people that I’ve come through the ranks with and been able to confide in over the years. It’s quite nice to see all of us here as grown-ups.”

But Beckett added he would be able to betray any of them if the game required it.

“Oh yes, if it’s part of the game. And I’d expect vice versa. If I get done, I get done.

“I’ll be competitive, but if I get murdered or banished or whatever the situation is, of course I’ll be disappointed for a minute, and then I’ll think, do you know what? I’m going home and I’ve got a couple of weeks off!”

He added: “I’ve got no qualms about killing people off.”

Other stars set to join them in the castle include The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, singer James Blunt, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Love Island host Maya Jama and actors Richard E Grant and Michael Sheen.

The first season of The Celebrity Traitors aired on the BBC last autumn, with the finale hitting a peak of 15.4 million viewers, according to the broadcaster.

The spin-off series brought in an average audience of 14.9 million people during its run, the biggest TV audience of 2025.

The Celebrity Traitors starts on October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.