The Fortune Hotel viewers are all saying the same thing after Stephen Mangan debuts new game show

Virgin Radio

14 May 2024, 09:03

The Fortune Hotel kicked off on ITV last night (Monday 13th May) and fans watching along at home had spotted something rather similar about the reality game show. 

The high-stakes game of wit and wagers is set in a luxury Caribbean resort. Ten pairs of hopefuls will aim to win a very tasty £250,000 grand prize, but not everyone will check-out a winner.

The first episode introduced all the paired contestants, who are all given a briefcase, with only one holding cash inside. However, for one couple, their briefcase will hold an Early Checkout Card. 

In order to not finish the day with the Checkout Card, the contestants take part in challenges, and they’ll get to decide if they want to keep or swap their cases. 

The Fortune Hotel has been likened to The White Lotus and The Traitors, but fans watching along couldn’t help but notice the comparison to the majorly successful BBC game show, which also relies on lies, deceit and tension. 

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), one fan wrote: “Anyone watch the fortune hotel. I enjoyed it, but major traitors vibes from it.”

Another commented: “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.”

A third said: “Even the slowed down music being an absolute carbon copy of The Traitors," while another shared: "#thefortunehotel trying to copy the traitors with the card under the door.”

Meanwhile, host Stephen Mangan recently sat down with virginradio.co.uk to chat about the intrigue and drama around The Fortune Hotel. 

Stephen told us: “A bit of investigation is required to spot who is lying. But also, it doesn't matter if someone does work out who's got the money, because then it's like, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ 

“The game is not over when you're discovered that you're not who you say you are. It goes on and on and on, because people are building alliances, or they're pretending to form alliances, or they're saying one thing to one person and something else to another. I mean, it's just fascinating. So the game itself really hooked me as soon as I heard about it, I thought, ‘That sounds like a brilliant game.’”

The Fortune Hotel airs every Monday to Thursday at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.