Traitors castle’s owner built his fortune on opium trading
The article says Ardross Castle, where the UK and US versions of *The Traitors* are filmed, has a history linked to opium smuggling. Sir Alexander Matheson acquired the castle in 1845 after building a fortune through Jardine Matheson, a firm he established with his uncle to trade opium from China to British-controlled India.
It reports that a BBC article about the castle’s history mentioned Matheson’s wealth from China trade but omitted his opium dealings. A contestant, speaking anonymously to *The Times*, claimed the BBC was reluctant to acknowledge the connection; the article provides no BBC response to that allegation. Historian Neil Sinclair is quoted as saying Matheson had no qualms about involvement in a trade that Britain considered legitimate, though China opposed it.
In short
- Ardross Castle is linked to an opium trading fortune.
- Sir Alexander Matheson acquired it in 1845.
- The BBC history article reportedly omitted the opium connection.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The BBC’s account of Ardross Castle’s history should include that Matheson’s fortune was built partly through opium trading, since omitting that detail may leave readers with an incomplete picture of the wealth behind the property. The trade’s legality under British rule does not erase its consequences for China, and acknowledging the connection need not imply that the programme or its current owners endorse it.
The case against
A short article about the castle may reasonably focus on its architecture and ownership without recounting every source of Matheson’s wealth, particularly if the BBC piece was not intended as a full history. The report gives no BBC response to the contestant’s claim of reluctance, so the omission alone does not establish deliberate concealment; historical actions can be presented with context rather than treated as a judgement on the programme today.
Explained simply
Ardross Castle is a Scottish estate used as the setting for the UK and US versions of The Traitors, a television competition in which contestants try to identify secret opponents. The castle was bought in 1845 by Sir Alexander Matheson, a businessman who had made his fortune through the China trade.
Matheson co-founded Jardine Matheson with his uncle. The firm traded opium from China to British-controlled India, during a period when Britain treated the trade as legitimate but China opposed it. The history matters because it connects a familiar television location to Britain’s nineteenth-century trade with China and the disputes surrounding opium.
Celebrity Entertainment Health Medicine World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “The dark drugs secret behind the Celebrity Traitors castle is revealed – even if the BBC would rather you didn’t know”.