Former England rugby star Joe Marler has broken his silence about what really happened behind the scenes of the hit BBC show Celebrity Traitors, offering surprising revelations about host Claudia Winkleman and his fellow contestants.
The unexpected advantage of being unrecognised
Marler, who reached the final four in the first celebrity series, admitted that his relative anonymity among the star-studded cast worked to his advantage. "Most of them thought I was a production guy lugging stuff around," the sports star revealed. "That played in my favour."
Despite his lower profile, Marler had done his homework on most competitors, though he confessed to The Times that three names initially drew blanks: Niko, David, and Ruth. However, he quickly formed impressions of everyone as the game progressed in the dramatic setting of Ardross Castle.
Claudia Winkleman: The brilliant ringmaster
While Marler had plenty to say about his fellow contestants, he reserved special praise for the show's host, Claudia Winkleman. "She's absolutely great," he declared enthusiastically. "All the melodrama. I love it!"
The rugby player's admiration wasn't limited to the presenter, though. He expressed genuine envy of swimmer Tom Daley's chiselled abs and praised Nick Mohammed both for his intelligence and unexpected musical talent on the violin.
Unexpected friendships and missed connections
Not every relationship blossomed during the intense filming experience. Marler admitted he "couldn't get his head around" Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway and remained somewhat wary of Scottish actor Mark Bonnar for much of the game.
"For a long time, I thought he must be Jonathan's sidekick," Joe confessed about Bonnar.
Among the positive connections, comedian Alan Carr left a lasting impression, being described as "hilarious all the way through." But it was YouTube personality Niko Omilana who became Marler's most likely post-show contact.
Despite not knowing about Niko's online fame before the show, the pair bonded over their shared passion for the trendy racket sport padel. "I'd love to spend more time with Niko," Joe revealed. "He loves padel, so maybe we'll play."
Marler acknowledged that being one of the lesser-known celebrities meant he had to "graft a bit" to connect with some cast members. Some, like actress Celia Imrie, remained deliberately elusive at first, with Joe comparing her to "a honeytrap spy in eastern Europe." Once they connected properly, however, he "loved her to pieces."
The truth about celebrity fees and final betrayal
Addressing rumours about participant payments, Marler dismissed claims that each celebrity received £40,000. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he confirmed the actual figure was £30,000, regardless of how long contestants lasted in the game.
"It was 30 grand whether you lasted two days or three weeks – that's a no-brainer," he stated, showing no concern about the lower than speculated amount.
Reflecting on his game strategy, Marler admitted he initially planned to follow Stephen Fry's lead, trusting the intellectual presenter's ability to identify the traitors. "After a couple of times, I realised – 'He's not good at this. This is not a good plan'," he confessed.
Trusting his own instincts ultimately took Marler to the final four, where he suffered what he described as a painful betrayal by fellow contestant Nick, whom he had considered an ally.
"I read it so wrong," Joe admitted. "It hurts to be stabbed in the back at the last minute like that."
The first series of Celebrity Traitors attracted some of the largest television audiences of the year, cementing its status as a breakout hit for the BBC and Studio Lambert.
