Welsh actor Michael Sheen has fuelled romance rumours surrounding Celebrity Traitors co-stars Maya Jama and King Kenny by saying the pair spent far too much time together on the BBC show.
The 57-year-old actor made the remarks during Friday's episode of the spin-off show Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, which aired immediately after the grand finale. Speculation about the pair grew over the weekend after 29-year-old YouTuber and boxer King Kenny was spotted sneaking out of the 32-year-old Love Island host's £1.5 million north London flat on Saturday morning.
Kenny, whose real name is Kenny Oghenovo Ojuederie, stayed at Jama's home for a couple of nights and watched Friday night's finale alongside her, despite having betrayed her during the broadcast in front of 11.9 million viewers. Sources say he slept on her sofa, and insiders close to Jama insist the pair have been friends for years and are not dating.
Michael Sheen's reaction on Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked
Sheen was unable to attend the studio recording of Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked in person due to rehearsals for his new play, appearing instead in a clip with host Ed Gamble. In the segment, where eliminated players learn the identities of the Traitors for the first time, Sheen said he had believed the Traitors were Jama and 35-year-old Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
The Twilight actor was left stunned upon discovering that Kenny had been deceiving him all along. When Gamble pointed out that Sheen had shown very little suspicion toward the YouTube star, Sheen replied: "I said what if it's Kenny and Maya together, that would be... that's a killer blow."
Sheen then unveiled Jama as the final Traitor, remarking: "Maya. Kenny and Maya, I said it!" When Gamble noted that it was a positive result since he already knew it was Jama, Sheen fumed: "Because... oh man!"
Ranting that he was not taking the discovery positively, Sheen went on: "I said Kenny and Maya, but oh that would be ridiculous. That would be way too obvious, they spend way too much time together! Why would Traitors do that? They do it, they do it Ed! They do it!"
Sighing, Sheen more calmly added: "I mean yes, I got one of them." He then issued a sinister parting message for the Traitors, saying: "I'm still going to get you! This game is not over until I say it's over! I said I will push and push and push and that doesn't mean just in the game!"
King Kenny's finale betrayal and stay at Maya Jama's flat
Sheen's remarks followed a dramatic Friday night finale on the BBC that left viewers aghast. After growing close throughout the series, Kenny turned on his fellow Traitor teammate Jama and banished her to protect himself.
In the BBC reality format, secret Traitors eliminate Faithful contestants each night while trying to avoid detection at daily round-table votes. Despite Kenny turning on Jama, Faithful players Romesh Ranganathan, the 48-year-old comedian, and Sebastian "Bash" Croft, the 24-year-old Heartstopper actor, went on to win the series.
Five months after the series was filmed, Jama and Kenny appear to have buried the hatchet. After watching the finale together at her north London flat and being seen leaving on Saturday morning, Kenny joined Jama again on Saturday night when she threw a Halloween party at 83 Rivington Street in Shoreditch, east London.
Jama transformed herself into Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah for the party, wearing a bald cap, goatee, running vest and shorts, while Kenny arrived in a toned-down orange jumpsuit. Although Jama's team have yet to put any denial on the record, neither she nor Kenny has suggested that their relationship extends beyond friendship.
Behind the scenes in the Ardross Castle turret
The pair grew close on set at Ardross Castle in Scotland, where the series was filmed. Early in the competition, a cloaked Jama chose Kenny as the third Traitor to stand alongside her and comedian James Acaster.
Jama, who was newly single at the time of filming, could barely hide her excitement when the newly recruited Kenny was pulled into the castle turret at her request to plot the Traitors' nightly murders.
A source close to the show said: "We'd all recruit the eye candy. And it worked. They were spending a lot of alone time together night after night up in the turret, on and off camera, particularly after James [Acaster] left. It's no surprise their feelings grew for one another, particularly in such an intense environment as Traitors."
Castmates' suspicions during the castle missions
Their efforts to hide both their identities as Traitors and the depth of their attachment also caught the attention of their celebrity castmates. While driving to a mission with eventual winners Ranganathan and Croft, Kenny posed as a Faithful and raised the prospect of Jama deceiving him.
"If Maya is a Traitor, I will never look at her the same way," Kenny said. Ranganathan immediately replied: "Well, first of all, I don't believe that for a second," sending all three men into fits of laughter.
Later in that episode, contestants were asked to work in pairs during the "field of screams" mission. After Jama chose Kenny as her partner, he replied: "My lovely darling."
Those exchanges have fuelled speculation among fans, who have shared online video edits of lingering glances, playful touches and frequent embraces between the pair inside the castle.
