The Fortune Hotel review: Stephen Mangan’s reality show tries and fails to match The Traitors’ success

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. You can imagine all the panicked faces in identikit meeting rooms around London, rushing to come up with ideas as their boss enters, clutching a ripped-out five-star review adorned with a picture of Claudia Winkleman in a cloak and asking: “What’s our take on this, then?” ITV, it seems, is hoping that its new competition The Fortune Hotel will scoop up viewers who are seeking a Traitors-esque dose of backstabbing, convoluted mind games and superfluous outdoor pursuits dressed up as “tasks”. Players must work out which couple currently has the case filled with cash The contestants are a likeable bunch, but it’s amusing to see how quickly factions form when there’s a quarter of a million in cash lurking somewhere in the hotel. Episode one sees the hopefuls being driven around the island solving pretty straightforward riddles – those who do well will be able to make the final decision at the case swap, and therefore won’t have their game plan undermined by someone else’s actions, but the stakes still feel low. ‘The Fortune Hotel’ is on ITV and ITVX If you’re travelling abroad and want to stream ‘The Fortune Show’ then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app.