Prince William, the Prince of Wales, playfully touched actor Ross Kemp’s arm when they met in Ilminster, Somerset, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, a wink at the BBC series “Celebrity Traitors” that showed how closely he and his wife, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, have been following it, according to Royal Central.
William, 44, was in the town to launch Ready Together, a National Emergencies Trust project to help communities prepare for crises. He has been the trust’s patron since 2020, and Kemp, an actor and filmmaker who is currently a contestant on the show’s second celebrity series, serves as an ambassador.
Why the Arm Touch Was a Joke
Earlier in the series, fellow contestant Leigh-Anne Pinnock rubbed Kemp’s arm as they passed during drinks at the castle. Kemp reacted nervously, later saying he feared she was trying to “murder” him in plain sight, the quiet public gesture traitors use to knock out a faithful.
William repeated the gesture in Ilminster and laughed, then posed for photographs with a hand on Kemp’s shoulder.
The Prince Goes Fishing for Spoilers
Chatting with young people in the town, William asked whether they watch “The Traitors” and joked that he would find out how it ends and report back later. “Spoiler alert today… he’s here…” he said of Kemp, per the Irish News.
Kemp gave nothing away. “I am a faithful,” he said, according to the PA news agency’s coverage as carried by AOL. William left without a hint about the finale, so he and Kate will learn it when the rest of the country does.
A Show Breaking Records
The second celebrity series premiered on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, with more than 8.8 million overnight viewers and a peak of 9 million, Variety reported, which made up more than half of the people watching television at that hour. Claudia Winkleman presents, and new episodes air on BBC One and iPlayer each Thursday and Friday. Twenty-one celebrities are taking part.
Kemp said the attention has been remarkable. “I’ve been on the TV for 43 years, but I’ve never known anything like this,” he said. “Even the fella at my local garage wanted a selfie; he’s never been bothered before.”
What Ready Together Aims to Do
The toolkit helps communities across the U.K. get ready for and respond to emergencies such as flooding and wildfires. Local volunteers and young people took part in a training exercise with William and Kemp, and the pair met trust chief executive Mhairi Sharp, the Royal Observer reported.
William also met the Ilminster Resilience Group, which supported residents during severe flooding, and visited Sweet Surprise, a cafe that provides work for adults with learning disabilities. At Ilminster Fire Station, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service crews showed him the mapping and forecasting tools they use against wildfire. “Being prepared for anything is better than being unprepared,” Kemp told the Press Association.
The Royal Household’s Traitors Habit
William and Kate have three children: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight. On Oct. 8, 2025, William gave Stephen Lambert, whose company makes the show, his OBE at Windsor Castle, the day the first celebrity series premiered. Lambert recalled William saying “he and the family were very much looking forward to watching it.”
