Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh confirmed for Celebrity Traitors after Olivier Award win

Coronation Street favourite Julie Hesmondhalgh is preparing to take on one of television’s most secretive challenges after being confirmed for the second series of Celebrity Traitors.

Best known to millions of viewers as Hayley Cropper, Julie is one of 21 famous contestants heading into the psychological game hosted by Claudia Winkleman. Filming has already taken place at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, with the new series due to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn.

Julie first arrived in Coronation Street in 1998 and went on to become one of the programme’s most respected and cherished performers. Hayley’s relationship with Roy Cropper developed into one of the soap’s most enduring love stories, while Julie’s performances brought warmth, humour and emotional honesty to some of Coronation Street’s most memorable storylines.

Her departure in 2014 remains one of the programme’s most heartbreaking moments, but Julie has continued to build an acclaimed career across television and theatre. Her arrival on Celebrity Traitors will now give viewers the opportunity to see her dealing with suspicion, deception and difficult decisions without the protection of a script.

The casting follows an exceptional year for Julie, who won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role on 12 April 2026. She received the honour for her performance as Joan in James Graham’s play Punch, which was staged at the Young Vic before transferring to the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End.

The Olivier victory added another major achievement to a career that has continued to flourish since Julie left Weatherfield. It also means she enters Celebrity Traitors after receiving one of British theatre’s most prestigious honours.

Away from acting, Julie has remained closely involved with Oldham Coliseum Theatre. Together with her husband, actor and writer Ian Kershaw, she became one of the driving forces behind the campaign to protect the venue following its closure in 2023.

The theatre’s reopening was announced in July 2024, with extensive renovation work later beginning. Julie was subsequently confirmed as a guest curator, continuing her connection to the venue and the local community that fought for its future.

Celebrity Traitors will see Julie compete alongside Amol Rajan, Bella Ramsey, Professor Hannah Fry, James Acaster, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Joanne McNally, Joe Lycett, King Kenny, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Myha’la, Richard E. Grant, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Ross Kemp, Sebastian Croft and Sharon Rooney.

The celebrities will compete to build a charity prize pot worth up to £100,000 while trying to work out which contestants have secretly been selected as Traitors. Most of the group will enter the game as Faithfuls, but the Traitors will attempt to remain hidden while eliminating players during the night.

Contestants will also face challenges and gather around the round table to vote out the people they suspect are working against them. Every alliance and conversation could become significant as the Faithfuls attempt to uncover the truth before the Traitors reach the final.

Secrecy around the second series has remained intense, with fellow contestant Ross Kemp joking that the confidentiality surrounding the programme was stricter than the security he had encountered while filming inside prisons. Ross refused to reveal whether he had been selected as a Faithful or a Traitor, preserving the mystery surrounding the new series.

For Coronation Street viewers, Julie’s involvement offers the chance to support one of the soap’s most celebrated former stars in a completely different setting. Her warmth and ability to connect with people could help her earn trust, although those same qualities may also make her a dangerous opponent if she has secretly been chosen as a Traitor.

Whether Julie proves to be a perceptive Faithful or a convincing Traitor will remain unknown until Celebrity Traitors returns. Following her Olivier Award success and her continued work supporting Oldham Coliseum, her appearance marks another exciting chapter in an already remarkable career.

Celebrity Traitors series two will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in autumn 2026. The first series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

For the latest Coronation Street and television news, visit SoapLandTV⁠