Comedian Ricky Gervais was approached to appear on the hit BBC show Celebrity Traitors but turned down the offer, according to fellow comedian and participant Jonathan Ross.
The revelation came during a discussion on Ross's Reel Talk podcast, where he detailed a conversation with Gervais following the show's record-breaking finale, which attracted millions of viewers.
The Reason Behind the Rejection
Ross explained that Gervais called him after the series had aired, having been asked by the BBC to participate. Gervais declined the invitation, articulating a strategic concern that would later prove prophetic.
"He said 'I'm not doing it. The reason I'm not doing it is, I'm pretty sure that if you go in there they're going to say it's going to have to be one of these bigger names. You're going to wind up getting voted out just because they think you're a bigger name in the outside world,'" Ross recounted.
Ross confirmed that Gervais had "nailed the Big Dogs theory", a gameplay strategy where the most well-known contestants are targeted for elimination by the 'Faithfuls'.
The 'Big Dog' Theory in Action
This exact scenario played out during the star-studded series. Contestants Joe Marler and Joe Wilkinson developed the same 'Big Dog' theory, leading the Faithfuls to vote out their own leader, the esteemed Stephen Fry, before ultimately uncovering Traitor Jonathan Ross.
The debut series, a spin-off of the regular Traitors format hosted by Claudia Winkleman, launched in October and became a massive ratings success for the BBC.
Record-Breaking Success and a Second Series
In the wake of its phenomenal performance, the BBC has officially renewed Celebrity Traitors for a second season, scheduled to air in 2026.
The debut episode amassed a staggering 14.8 million viewers, making it the BBC's biggest unscripted title since 2021. The tense finale, which saw comedian Alan Carr win the £87,500 prize after remaining an undetected Traitor, was watched by over 14 million people.
Host Claudia Winkleman will return to preside over the new game of trust and treachery, with new episodes of the companion show Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked also confirmed for BBC Two and BBC Sounds.
