ITV's Fortune Hotel viewers slam Traitors 'rip off' minutes into first show

Viewers of ITV's new series, Fortune Hotel, voiced their disapproval right after the show premiered, accusing it of being a rip-off of 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 stash in their briefcase. But as the first episode aired, viewers wasted no time in taking to X (Twitter) to air their grievances, reports the Mirror.

One viewer stated: "Not impressed/too much like the traitors." Another chimed in with: "Not sure how I feel about this. Seems like a cheap version of the traitors so far #fortunehotel."

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A third comment read: "It's ITV's poor imitation of The Traitors." A fourth watcher teased: "What is this? The Traitors meets Coach Trip meets Deal or No Deal? #fortunehotel."

A cheeky viewer asked: "Is this for people who didn't make it past the auditions process on the Traitors?". Another person claimed: "I'm going in watching The Fortune Hotel with an open mind, but nothing, and I mean nothing, is EVER going to compare to The Traitors."

Further condemning the show, another added: What a very poor rip off of @TheTraitorsUK @ITV have done with #FortuneHotel".

The new eight-part series, The Fortune Hotel, is set to bring a mix of deception and competition to our screens. Contestants will be whisked away to a luxury Caribbean resort with their partners, where they'll have the chance to win a staggering £250,000.

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

As each day draws to a close, they face a crucial decision: to swap or keep their briefcases. The couple in possession of the cash 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 the intriguing gameplay. "The opportunity to head to the Caribbean sounded very interesting on its own before you even get to what else is involved," he shared.

"That's the thing that first got my attention 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 in which it was set 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 get on with each other, especially in moments of high stress is deeply fascinating. Human beings are complex and interesting so The Fortune Hotel felt like the perfect mix of entertainment and drama. It's a way of putting people together under pressure set amongst a stunning location. The whole package was just incredibly intriguing to me so I had to be a part of it."

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