Viewers of ITV’s Fortune Hotel pick up Traitors within minutes of the first show

Viewers of new ITV series Fortune Hotel have voiced their disapproval immediately after the show premiered, accusing it of being a rip-off of the BBC’s The Traitors.

Debuting on Monday night, Fortune Hotel features contestants taking part in a high-stakes game full of challenges to secure a whopping £250,000 prize – similar to The Traitors, where contestants deduce who’s telling lies while keeping a secret in the briefcase. But as the first episode aired, viewers wasted no time taking to X (Twitter) to air their displeasure, the Mirror reports.

One viewer declared: “Not impressed/too much like the traitors.” Another said: “Not sure how I feel about this. Looks like a cheap version of traitors so far #fortunehotel”.

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A third comment said: “This is ITV’s poor imitation of The Traitors.” A fourth watcher teased: “What is this? Traitors meet Coach Trip and Deal or No Deal? #fortunehotel.”

One cheeky viewer asked: “Is this for people who didn’t audition for Traitors?” Another person claimed: “I’m going to watch The Fortune Hotel with an open mind but nothing, and I mean EVER, will compare to The Traitors.”

Further condemning the show, another added: What a very bad mess @TheTraitorsUK @ITV have done with #FortuneHotel”.

The new eight-part series, The Fortune Hotel, will bring a mix of deception and competition to our screens. Contestants will be taken to a luxury resort in the Caribbean with their partners where they will be in with a chance of winning £250,000.

Each of the ten couples receives a briefcase, but only one contains a quarter of a million pounds. Throughout the show, the couples have to face various challenges to deduce who owns the money-laden case.

As each day draws to a close, they are faced with a crucial decision: to change or keep their briefcases. The couple in possession of the money must convincingly lie to avoid detection, while another briefcase hides an early checkout card, adding another layer of strategy to the game.

Stephen Mangan, who will be hosting the show, couldn’t resist the allure of the Caribbean setting and intriguing gameplay. “The opportunity to go to the Caribbean sounded very interesting on its own before we got to what else was involved,” he said.

“That’s the thing that first caught my eye, but when the game itself was explained to me and I played it, it’s just brilliant. The game is pretty simple, but endlessly fascinating, so a combination of that alongside the backdrop it was set in was just pretty irresistible.”

“People are endlessly fascinating to me as an actor and the reason you become an actor is because people and how they relate to each other, especially in times of great stress, is deeply fascinating. Human beings are complex and interesting, as The Fortune Hotel felt. as the perfect blend of entertainment and drama. It’s a way to bring people together under pressure in a stunning location. The whole package was incredibly intriguing to me, so I had to be a part of it.

Fortune Hotel will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player from 13 May. Get newsletters with the biggest and latest TV and showbiz news by signing up here.