Ross is voted out by fellow Traitors Cat Burns and Alan Carr after dramatic round-table showdown

There was chaos, betrayal and one unforgettable farewell as Jonathan Ross became the latest celebrity to be voted out of The Celebrity Traitors.

The 64-year-old chat show host was dramatically turned on by his two fellow traitors, Alan Carr and Cat Burns, in a tense round-table showdown that has been described by fans as the most explosive moment of the series so far.

Ross, who had tried to deflect suspicion from himself by throwing his co-conspirators “under the bus”, quickly found the plan backfiring when Carr and Burns realised what he was up to. In a decisive and ruthless vote, both turned against him, ending the reign of what viewers had dubbed the “Big Dog” of the traitors’ trio.

When the votes were revealed, Burns misspelled his name on the slate — an extra twist of the knife in what proved to be an unforgettable TV moment.

Ross’s exit was crowned by an instantly viral speech. Standing before his fellow players, he said: “I’ve got no idea what everyone’s doing wrong. I cannot believe you’ve done it again. I cannot believe that I’m standing here for no good reason, so I don’t want to be rude, but you’re idiots. I am now, and I have been all through the game completely Faithful… to the traitors.”

The line left the room gasping — and prompted a mixture of laughter, shock and applause online. “That was the most ridiculous bow out,” said rugby player Joe Marler, as the faithful contestants erupted in celebration, finally catching one of the three traitors after a run of close escapes.

Entertainment reporter Indigo Stafford called it “a ruthlessly brilliant episode that showed exactly why the Traitors format works so well — alliances crumble, loyalties shatter, and everyone’s a suspect.”

Speaking afterwards, Ross appeared calm about his elimination. “I’m kind of relieved and I’m glad Alan went for me as well,” he said. “I’m hoping they will stick together and romp off to victory.”

On The Celebrity Traitors Uncloaked podcast, he reflected on his downfall, saying: “The best strategy for a traitor is don’t be too loud, don’t be too quiet. That’s why Alan and Cat are playing such a brilliant game.”

The episode’s other big moment came when comedian Lucy Beaumont was “murdered” by the traitors in a face-to-face elimination after losing the previous challenge on a giant chessboard. “I’m not happy with you at all,” she told the trio when their identities were revealed. “You played this really, really well.”

Her reaction on seeing Alan Carr under the hood summed up the mood: “Alan killed Paloma!” she exclaimed — a reference to his earlier elimination of singer Paloma Faith. Carr later admitted the face-to-face murder was “so harsh and so raw”, joking that he “felt like the Grim Reaper”.

Meanwhile, Kate Garraway narrowly avoided elimination but was dismayed by the lack of enthusiasm when she returned to breakfast the next morning. “Nobody’s pleased to see me,” she said. “Why does nobody trust me?” Marler gently pointed out that she didn’t “come with a lot of theories”, to which Garraway replied: “I’m so useless, I can’t bear it.”

Elsewhere, Carr stole the spotlight again during a team challenge that saw contestants crossing a narrow, rickety bridge over a river. Screaming as he edged across, he told Garraway — who tried to cheer him on — to “shut up”, later comparing himself to “a winner and a eunuch” once he reached the other side.

After seven episodes of mind games, manipulation and mayhem, The Celebrity Traitors continues to deliver the mix of tension and absurdity that has made it one of British TV’s most addictive competitions. And for Jonathan Ross, it was an exit as sharp, theatrical and quotable as his decades in broadcasting.