Julie Hesmondhalgh Exits Celebrity Traitors with "Head Held High"

Julie Hesmondhalgh, the former Coronation Street actress from Accrington, Lancashire, was the third celebrity banished from The Celebrity Traitors, a BBC One game show, during Friday's episode. She said she left with her "head held high" and received "very gratifying apologetic texts" from fellow contestants. Hesmondhalgh, who had no idea she would be voted out, felt it was her time. She described the experience as "amazing" and said she loved being on the show, having watched every episode, including the New Zealand version. She was recruited during the first series in 2025 while performing in a London play; producers visited her dressing room, and she was shocked. Keeping it secret was difficult. She admitted she would have been "a terrible traitor" and found watching herself stressful, especially knowing her elimination. Now she feels "total relief" to watch as a fan again, saying her nervous system will never recover. She called it a thrill to represent the North West and the whole of the North, and she is backing Sharon Rooney, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Sebastian Croft. The show airs on BBC One.