'Woke' BBC bosses wanted words 'killed' and 'murdered' BANNED from The Traitors over fears it would offend

EXCLUSIVE ‘Palestine poppy’ sparks outrage as veterans accuse group of ‘hijacking’ symbol 1792254459.812 'Woke' BBC bosses wanted words 'killed' and 'murdered' BANNED from The Traitors over fears it would offend The corporation is said to have offered alternatives such as "eliminated" or "exited" Sign up to the Celebrity Newsletter Email address Sign up I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us Senior editorial policy figures at the BBC attempted to ban certain words from The Traitors' signature vocabulary prior to its broadcast. According to a former executive behind the show's launch in the UK, bosses pushed to replace the words "murder" and "kill" with gentler alternatives such as "eliminated" and "exited." Syeda Irtizaali, the entertainment commissioner responsible for launching the UK adaptation, has opened up about the behind-the-scenes clash on a new podcast. She claimed the corporation's compliance team was nervous that such language might distress audiences, but Ms Irtizaali stood firm and refused to water down the show's tone. The Celebrity Traitors is currently in its second series on the BBC | BBC She has since left the BBC after a five-year stint and now serves as director of unscripted television at Netflix, but the battle over terminology was one of several she fought to get the programme on air. Ms Irtizaali revealed on Insiders: The TV Podcast: "Obviously, the themes of The Traitors are murder mystery. I wanted to go even darker. I wanted to, with a big tongue-in-cheek, really go to town with the campery of it all." The BBC's editorial policy advisers, however, grew uneasy about the terminology used when contestants were picked off during the game. Ms Irtizaali recalled being told: "I don't think we can say the words 'murder' and 'kill'." The television executive shared what the Beeb offered as a compromise, saying: "They said, 'Can we say 'eliminated' and 'exited'? Because what if there's murder on the same day that the show goes out?" Claudia Winkleman has fronted every series of The Traitors so far | BBC Ms Irtizaali remained unconvinced that viewers watching Claudia Winkleman host the game inside a Scottish castle would somehow mistake it for coverage of actual crime. "Our audiences are not going to get confused with a real-life news story and this camp old show," she insisted. She recalled her response was firm. "I said, 'Thank you very much for the advice, but I'm not going to take it. We're just going to do it how we want to do it'," she said. The programme ultimately kept "murder" and "kill" as part of its vocabulary, with the secret Traitors selecting fellow contestants to "murder" each night while the Faithful work to identify and banish them at the roundtable. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Jeremy Clarkson wades into BBC Traitors 'unconscious racism' row as he slams 'silly little hotheads' Outrage as BBC cancels classic TV show after 27 years to save cash Billy Joel no longer able to perform as singer shares health update amid brain disorder battle Myha'la has thrown the latest series of Celebrity Traitors into headlines following 'unconscious racial bias' claims | BBC The Traitors fans have reacted unanimously in favour of Ms Irtizaali's initial stance. Reacting to the quotes on X, many accused BBC bosses of being too "woke" and not listening to audiences. "Given that it's the BBC, I am actually surprised that there isn't a disclaimer before and after each and every episode," one X user sarcastically said after pop culture account SuperTV247 shared Ms Irtizaali's remarks. A second echoed: "Honestly good on her. British TV has been so scared of its own shadow lately that it's nice to see someone actually trust the audience for once." "Thank god she didn’t listen to the woke and was allowed to push back," another concurred, while a fourth hit out: "Go woke, go broke. Thank god." there's some higher ups at the beeb that are just completely detached from reality — melissa (@SUP3RL4DY) October 16, 2026 "There are some higher-ups at the beeb that are just completely detached from reality," a fifth critic slammed, while a sixth weighed in: "'Our TV networks aren’t WOKE.' The networks:... #celebritytraitors." The language dispute wasn't the only obstacle Ms Irtizaali encountered in bringing the programme to screens. When she first made the case that the BBC needed a reality format capable of competing with ITV's I'm A Celebrity, colleagues pushed back, arguing the genre "won't work" and was "not really us." Even presenter Ms Winkleman needed reassurance, having been "really worried" about coming across as too cold, particularly when two contestants were sent home at the very start of the first series. Syeda Irtizaali made the remarks on a new podcast appearance | INSIDERS: THE TV PODCAST/YOUTUBE Ms Irtizaali left the BBC in March after five years with the corporation to become director of unscripted at Netflix, joining Anne Mensah's UK commissioning team. Prior to her interim appointment as director of unscripted at the BBC, she served as entertainment commissioner and was instrumental in forging the NBCUniversal partnership that produced both The Traitors and Destination X. Her previous employers include Channel 4, where she commissioned The Last Leg and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. The BBC declined to comment when contacted by GB News regarding Ms Irtizaali's remarks. 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