Why Did Hannah Fry Turn Against Myha’la in The Celebrity Traitors? The Shield Dispute Explained
BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors has always been a game in which an ordinary conversation can become more important than an elaborate strategy. The second season has taken that uncertainty to another level, bringing together 21 celebrities whose friendships and suspicions can change within hours. In Episode 3, mathematician Hannah Fry finds herself in precisely that…
BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors has always been a game in which an ordinary conversation can become more important than an elaborate strategy. The second season has taken that uncertainty to another level, bringing together 21 celebrities whose friendships and suspicions can change within hours. In Episode 3, mathematician Hannah Fry finds herself in precisely that situation after accepting an invitation to join the Traitors. What begins as a disagreement over a protective shield soon becomes an important part of the case against actress Myha’la, with consequences that neither woman can entirely control.
Why Hannah Fry Targeted Myha’la
Hannah’s involvement in Myha’la’s elimination is closely connected to her new position in the game. Following Richard E. Grant’s banishment, Maya Jama and James Acaster are given the opportunity to recruit another Traitor, and they decide that Hannah’s intelligence makes her a valuable addition. She accepts their invitation, although the change leaves her noticeably uncomfortable about deceiving people she has spent the previous days trying to help. Her immediate problem is that the other contestants already regard her as one of the cleverest people in the castle, making her an obvious person to question when everyone discovers that nobody has been eliminated overnight.
Hannah also knows that she cannot afford to attract further attention during her first day as a Traitor. At breakfast, her nervous appearance raises questions, particularly from Miranda Hart, who notices something different about her behavior. Elsewhere, however, several Faithfuls are concentrating on Myha’la, whose actions during the previous Round Table have already caused considerable suspicion. Hannah recognizes that those existing doubts could become useful if people begin questioning her own loyalty.
Myha’la’s predicament begins with her response to Richard E. Grant. Although she had expressed doubts about whether he was really a Traitor, she appeared reluctant to turn against him until the vote became unavoidable. Julie Hesmondhalgh also noticed Myha’la winking at Richard before voting for his banishment, interpreting the gesture as possible evidence of a secret understanding between them. There was no such alliance, but the incident gave the other contestants something memorable to discuss. By the time the next challenge began, Myha’la was already defending herself against a theory that had gained considerable support.
What Happened Between Hannah and Myha’la in the Crypt?
The day’s mission sends the celebrities around the castle grounds to open four crypts and collect money for the charity prize fund. Some contain shields, which can protect players from being selected for an overnight elimination. Hannah repeatedly makes it clear that she wants one, maintaining the impression that she remains a vulnerable Faithful. When she and Myha’la enter one of the crypts together, they discover a single shield, and both reach for it before Myha’la manages to secure it.
Rather than treating Hannah as a rival, Myha’la suggests that keeping the shield secret could potentially benefit them both. If nobody knows which of them possesses the protection, the Traitors might hesitate to select either player. She also considers whether Hannah needs the shield more because of the attention surrounding her. It is a complicated but understandable proposal from a Faithful trying to protect herself while helping someone she believes is on the same side.
The difficulty arises when the players discover that they must surrender two shields to unlock additional prize money. Myha’la initially hesitates, hoping someone else might volunteer theirs, before eventually handing it over. Sharon Rooney also gives up a shield, allowing the group to complete the challenge and secure another £6,000. Maya, meanwhile, secretly keeps the shield she has obtained, creating an interesting contrast between the choices made by the Faithfuls and the Traitors.
Why Did Hannah Question Myha’la’s Explanation?
After the mission, Hannah tells other contestants about the incident in the crypt, presenting Myha’la’s behavior as something she finds difficult to explain. She describes how both women reached for the shield, only for Myha’la to appear less interested in keeping it once she had secured it. Hannah also questions why Myha’la would suggest keeping the shield secret but then surrender it during the challenge. Because suspicion was already building against Myha’la, those details acquire a significance they might not otherwise have carried.
The disagreement becomes more consequential at the Round Table, where Myha’la attempts to explain what happened. She insists that her hesitation was not evidence of a hidden role but an effort to retain protection if someone else could surrender a shield instead. Myha’la also explains that she had considered giving the shield to Hannah because she believed Hannah might need it more. The problem is that Hannah remembers the conversation differently, particularly the suggestion that Myha’la was willing to give away something she had been so eager to obtain.
Hannah then challenges the logic of Myha’la’s account, asking why she would compete for the shield only to consider handing it over. Myha’la disputes the suggestion that she had stopped caring about her own protection, emphasizing that she was trying to make a difficult decision between two players. Neither woman’s recollection is presented as a complete, independently verified account of every word exchanged inside the crypt. However, Hannah’s questioning makes Myha’la appear inconsistent at a moment when the group is already inclined to distrust her.
Hannah’s private comments help explain why she pursues the matter. She acknowledges that she had suspicions about Myha’la before the challenge and that encouraging those doubts could help divert attention away from herself. Her questioning is therefore not simply an innocent misunderstanding between two players. As a newly recruited Traitor, she has a practical reason to allow suspicion to settle on someone whose innocence she already knows.
Why Was Myha’la Banished?
The shield dispute becomes the final complication in an already difficult day for Myha’la. Bella Ramsey has questioned her changing attitude toward Richard, while Julie is troubled by her unwillingness to identify a consistent suspect. During a conversation after the challenge, Myha’la tells Julie that she has suspected her since the beginning, but that admission only creates another disagreement about why those suspicions were not raised earlier. Her increasingly defensive position makes it difficult to persuade the others to reconsider their conclusions.
At the Round Table, several players also discuss Jerry Hall, whose behavior following Richard’s exit has appeared unusual. Nevertheless, Myha’la receives the majority of the votes, including Hannah’s, and is required to leave the competition. Before revealing her allegiance, she warns the remaining Faithfuls that the Traitors may be more intelligent and organized than they realize. Her confirmation that she was a Faithful leaves the group visibly disappointed, particularly after their earlier success in identifying Richard.
The result is especially significant for Hannah because her attempt to steer the discussion away from herself has apparently succeeded. Myha’la’s departure removes a player whose behavior was attracting substantial attention, while Hannah remains in the game alongside Maya and James. Yet it also creates a new problem, since the other Faithfuls can now reconsider how the argument unfolded. What seemed like reasonable questioning before the vote becomes more complicated once Myha’la’s innocence is established.
Did Hannah’s Strategy Backfire?
Although Hannah survives the Round Table, she has not escaped suspicion entirely. Miranda Hart begins examining the shield discussion and notices that Hannah did not initially disclose the parts of Myha’la’s account that could have made her behavior seem more cooperative. From Miranda’s perspective, withholding those details may have helped create a misleading impression of someone who was actually trying to protect another Faithful. This is particularly concerning because Hannah was in the crypt and had direct knowledge of the conversation.
The episode consequently ends with Hannah in a more complicated position than she realizes. She has successfully contributed to another player’s banishment, but the details of her own conduct are beginning to attract attention from someone capable of connecting them. Myha’la’s biggest mistake may have been trusting that the other contestants would understand her intentions, while Hannah’s may have been pushing the argument further than necessary. Their shield dispute demonstrates how quickly an attempt at cooperation can become suspicious when one person secretly benefits from the misunderstanding.
