Remember when fans feared that an all-star edition would risk ruining the hit reality game’s magic? A triumphant inaugural VIP series of The Celebrity Traitors has blown such worries out of the Highland loch water.

Ratings have surpassed 13m, overtaking Strictly Come Dancing as the BBC’s biggest franchise. It has been the most talked-about TV show of the autumn, if not the year. Anticipation is now at fever pitch for Thursday night’s final. As we approach the endgame, relive the highlights so far with our cloak-clad catch-up …

Alan gets anointed (episode 1)

The cloaked crusader … Photograph: BBC

Alan Carr’s treacherous trajectory has been the most dramatic turnaround in Traitors history. When he got that fateful shoulder-tap from Claudia Winkleman, the chaotic comedian came over all a-fluster. Nervously glugging rosé, he lamented: “I feel sick. I’ve got a sweating problem and can’t keep a secret.” Just watching him remove his blindfold and put his specs back on was mildly farcical. The first shot of Alan in his cloak, carrying a lantern into the turret like a Victorian nana, became an instant meme. Entering the conclave, he revealed himself to co-conspirators Jonathan Ross and Cat Burns – who promptly screamed with laughter. Alan was set to be the worst Traitor since head-swivelling Linda. Well, wasn’t he?

**Clare fluffs it (**episode 1)

‘What have I done?’ Photograph: BBC

Of all the people to mess up, nobody predicted it would be the professionally capable Clare Balding. In the Trojan Horse task, the first gate was opened by answering the question: “How many characters die in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet combined?” While the assembled luvvies worked it out, Balding briskly dialled in a random number and pulled the lever. “Oh shit,” she wailed, head in hands. “I’ve locked it in and I didn’t mean to.” She immediately looked like a Traitor for sabotaging the mission. “Clare had a flashback to Vegas and thought she was on the slots, the way she yanked that lever,” cackled Carr

Nick leaves Stephen in his dust (episode 1)

‘Self-effacing’ Nick Mohammed. Photograph: BBC

Castle residents kowtowed to Stephen Fry as the world’s cleverest man, but faced with a sequence of fiendish puzzles, he was utterly upstaged by self-effacing Nick Mohammed. He recognised one as “a basic Klotski puzzle”, then worked out that word tiles bore anagrams of “traitor”. As the team completed the mission, Kate Garraway hailed Nick as a “puzzle ninja”. Social media lit up with viewers suddenly finding him strangely sexy.

Jonathan overshadows Claudia (episodes 1-7)

Dressed to kill … Jonathan Ross. Photograph: BBC

From swishing capes to oversized knits, black veils to red fingerless gloves, every other series of The Traitors has seen Winkleman’s outfits go viral. This time, though, it was Jonathan Ross who stole the style plaudits. Highlights included his Top Gun jumpsuit, tartan trousers, furry stole and leopard-print cardigan. He even sported a tweed cape-and-fingerless gloves combo in tribute to La Winkle. It beat Garraway’s selection of rubbish hats.

Alan’s betrayal (episode 2)

Putting the knife in … Alan and Paloma. Photograph: BBC

When the Traitors’ first murder had to be in plain sight, the job somehow fell to flapping Alan. Dodging detection in a crowded castle, he must fondle a black lily, rub his hands with poisonous pollen, then touch the face of the faithful he wanted to murder. He cornered his closest friend in the castle, singer Paloma Faith(ful), and tenderly brushed an imaginary hair from her cheek. “I feel awful,” he said. “I’ve gone and murdered one of my best friends.” Jonathan Ross told him to “toughen up”. Alan took him at his word and was soon writing death warrants with relish.

**Tom’s **side-eye (episode 2)

Flabbers were gasted … Tom Daley. Photograph: BBC

At Paloma’s gloriously camp mock funeral – complete with veil-clad Claudia on horseback – Tom Daley went viral for the Olympic standard side-eye he gave Kate when she gasped: “Gosh, that is flabbergasting!” Tom took this as a clue that she was over-compensating for having killed her. “Who uses the word flabbergasted anyway?” he scoffed. “It’s like saying ‘whoopsie daisy’.” Alan shot back: “You can’t accuse someone of being a Traitor just because they have a better vocabulary than you!”

Daylee male (episode 2)

Misspelled names on chalkboards have become a Traitors trope. YouTube prankster Niko Omilana trolled us all at the first round table by writing “Tom Daylee” in his slate. The best we’ve had since are “Johnathan” and “Claire”.

Celia breaks wind** (episode 3)**

Gone with the wind … Celia Imrie. Photograph: BBC

During the creepy cabin mission, the gothic melodrama was undercut by an audible trump. “What just happened?” asked Winkleman. “I just farted, Claudia,” said actor Celia Imrie sweetly. “I’m so sorry. It’s nerves but I always own up.” The blooper went viral and gave ratings, well, a following wind. It emerged that producers gave Imrie the option of having it edited out. She gamely insisted it was kept in.

Big Dogs v** Hundies (episodes 3-8)**

Walking the planks … Joe Marler. Photograph: BBC

Mohawk-haired man mountain Joe Marler has become the show’s cult hero and, as the faithful’s most outspoken sleuth, perhaps their best hope of victory. It was the ex-rugby player who hatched the fabled “Big Dog Theory”, positing that castle heavyweights Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry would be made leaders of the traitors and faithful, or vice versa. Joe later coined the term “My hundies” for those who, like best buddy Nick, he believes are “100% faithful”.

**Celia wails down the well **(episode 4)

Well, well, well … Celia’s anguished shriek. Photograph: BBC

On a woodland mission, the teams imitated different banshee wails. They were reduced to hysterics when Imrie leaned into a well with a pained expression and let out a prolonged shriek. Lucy Beaumont said it was “a noise I’ve never heard before in my life”. Don’t get us started on “putting the pussy in it”.

Ruth’s anti-Rossy rants (episode 4)

Outspoken … Ruth Codd. Photograph: BBC

Irish goth actor Ruth Codd was one of the first to suspect Jonathan Ross, pointing out how he’d promised to form an alliance with her, Niko and Clare – before turning on the latter two and abetting their banishment. The outspoken Codd correctly predicted that he’d stab her in the back next, dismissing his denials with the memorable turn of phrase: “Don’t piss in my ear and tell me it’s raining.”

Never-seen-before stalemate (episode 5)

Proud recipient of a shield … David Olusoga Photograph: BBC

A tense mid-series round table saw suspicion fall on actor Mark Bonnar and historian David Olusoga. When it moved to a banishment ballot, each received four votes. A tie is a rare enough occurrence in Traitors history. Both were allowed a final plea before the second round of voting. This time it was five votes apiece. Double deadlock has never happened on any UK series. The result had to be decided by fate, with the pair given “the chests of chance” – one of which contained an immunity shield. Broken man Bonnar departed. Olusoga went on to reach the final.

Claudia gets cross (episode 6)

‘Sleep well – if you can’ … Claudia. Photograph: BBC

After failing to find a traitor again and banishing another of their own, Winkleman witheringly told the round table: “You are breaking my heart. You’re not getting it. What are you not seeing? Open your eyes, please, because there is no let-up. Another faithful will be murdered tonight. Sleep well – if you can.” Two episodes later, they were back in her good books. When they completed the headless statues mission in the nick of time, she said: “That was better than my wedding day.”

Cat nap explained (episode 6)

‘Ice-cool’ Cat with Stephen Fry. Photograph: BBC

Stephen Fry thought he’d blown the case wide open when he spotted Cat Burns snoozing on a castle window seat. At the round table, he theorised that traitors would be more tired due to their midnight meetings, pointing the finger at Cat. Ice-cool Cat calmly pointed out that her autism and ADHD means that group interactions take more out of her and “sometimes I need time away”. Fry backed down and was soon banished. She’d advocated for the neurodivergent community and outplayed him at the same time.

Checkmate from Ross (episode 7)

Taunted … Lucy Beaumont. Photograph: BBC

When Lucy Beaumont was murdered face-to-face on the giant chessboard, she told the traitors: “I hope you feel terrible about yourselves.” While the others at least looked remorseful, Jonathan Ross gleefully taunted her with: “Bye, Lucy! See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya!”

Cash banked, Carr castrated (episode 7)

A bridge too far … Alan Carr. Photograph: BBC

With the celebrities challenged to cross a rickety wooden bridge, Alan Carr was first into the breach. “It’s well wobbly,” he squawked. “No, no, no! Stop it now! Shut up!” Slowly and noisily, he somehow made it across. “Alan, you’re an absolute hero!” cried Kate Garraway. Still dangling in mid-air, he adjusted his safety harness and said: “God, my testicles. I feel like a winner and a eunuch.”

Jonathan’s wind-up exit speech (episode 7)

Famous last words … Jonathan Ross. Photograph: BBC

They finally got him! Having dodged detection for seven episodes, Jonathan Ross’s time as a traitor came to an end. The round table turned against him and he was banished with six votes out of eight. Yet he remained mischievous to the end, telling his fellow players they were idiots and pretending he was faithful: “I am now, and have been all through the game, completely faithful ... to the traitors!” Their faces turned from despair to delight. “Most ridiculous bow-out ever,” muttered Joe Marler with grudging respect.

Parting is such sweet sorrow (episode 8)

‘Was it a chutney murder?’ … Kate Garraway the hapless sleuth. Photograph: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry

The semifinal saw the traitors murder in plain sight again. At a congratulatory dinner party, they had to toast the player they wanted to kill with the Shakespeare line: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Once again, reluctant assassin Alan got the job. He settled on “queen of the castle” Celia Imrie as his victim, getting away with it by attributing the quote to departed boffin Stephen Fry. Hapless sleuth Kate Garraway was soon speculating about poisoned cheeseboards, sun-dried tomato symbolism and “chutney murders”.

Looky not very likey (episode 8)

Is that Clare Balding … or Gordon Ramsay? Photograph: BBC

In the castle museum mission, mannequin heads modelled after the celebrities had to be attached to headless statues. “Some of them did not look lifelike,” noted Alan. “Clare Balding looks like Boris Johnson.” Fans on social media also spotted a resemblance to Gordon Ramsay.

Alan’s fatal giggle (episode 8)

He who laughs last … Photograph: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry

At the penultimate episode’s climax, the five finalists were summoned to the fire pit. Claudia asked them to look their fellow players in the eye and promise them: “I am a faithful.” Predictably, Alan couldn’t finish the sentence without dissolving into nervous laughter. Joe Marler took this as further evidence of his traitor status. Could the giggly gaffe prove crucial?