Julie Hesmondhalgh, known for her role in Coronation Street, has revealed she experienced 'huge status anxiety' while filming Celebrity Traitors, worrying she was not as well educated as her fellow contestants.
The 56-year-old actress, who was among the first to be eliminated from the second series of the BBC show, spoke about the challenge of being surrounded by celebrities from music, broadcasting, acting and social media. She also offered a glimpse into the surreal behind-the-scenes experience of the programme.
Status anxiety and education worries
Hesmondhalgh, who also appeared in ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office, told the Sunday Times she felt the anxiety despite being a recognisable face herself. She said: "There are lots of psychological assessments before you start and you plunge into these accelerated relationships. I have huge status anxiety - who's an A-lister, who's a Z-lister? It's mostly a class thing. I worry I'm not as well educated as other people. Everyone suffers anxiety, even if some of the other contestants showed it in a jarring way."
Richard E Grant on the show's strange impact
Hesmondhalgh is not the only celebrity to comment on the unusual effects of being on Traitors. Richard E Grant, who also appeared as a Traitor and was banished, described how strange it felt to have so much of one's life controlled while on the show.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: "You are so institutionalised in that thing within 24 hours, because you are isolated, kept in a room, there is a guard outside your door, your food is delivered and there’s no internet access, so you are kind of shut down. You are also not told what time it is and are also prescribed on a daily basis what you are going to wear. So, you are kind of infantilised and institutionalised at the same time."
