Joanne McNally has been made the early favourite to win The Celebrity Traitors, with bookmakers putting the Irish comic at 6/1 ahead of the new series.

James Blunt is next in the betting at 13/2, while Bella Ramsey and Michael Sheen are both priced at 7/1. Maya Jama follows at 8/1, with James Acaster, Joe Lycett and Julie Hesmondhalgh all on 9/1. Sharon Rooney and Amol Rajan are both rated at 20/1, while King Kenny is the 25/1 outsider in the early market.

The numbers matter because the contest is not being priced as a wide-open field. William Hill has given the edge to the Faithfuls at 8/11 to beat the Traitors at EVS, a view that leans against a repeat of last year’s result, when the Traitors, led by Alan Carr, won the inaugural series. The Grand Final is drawn near on 30 May, and the opening market suggests bettors expect the castle to suit performers again.

Lee Phelps said season one proved that comedians thrive in the castle, and the early betting points to a similar pattern this time, with McNally installed as the early favourite to emerge victorious from Ardross Castle. He also said William Hill is backing the Faithfuls at 8/11 to exact revenge after the Traitors, led by Alan Carr, won the inaugural series last year.

That leaves a clear split in the early story of Celebrity Traitors series 2. The individual market points to McNally as the name to beat, but the team market says the safer money is on the Faithfuls to correct last year’s outcome. For now, the bookmakers have framed the season as a contest between comic instinct and collective discipline, and the first read is that both could be hard to beat by the time the final arrives on 30 May.