Stephen Fry has admitted he was dreading the physical missions on the upcoming BBC show The Celebrity Traitors, comparing them to compulsory school sports. The 68-year-old actor and presenter is among 19 celebrities competing in the first celebrity edition of the hit series, which begins on BBC One next week.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the launch, Fry said: “Some of them may be tedious like being back at school, forced into compulsory physical education.” He added that while some players are strong and sporty, others will have to rely on their wits. Fry conceded he is not particularly competitive but gets “annoyed if people don’t really throw themselves into” a game.
The former QI host also dismissed the idea that it is possible to truly read people, calling it “absolute nonsense” akin to astrology. “Empiricism proves it. People time and time again ask those whose job it is to interrogate and to find out the truth and it’s simply not possible,” he said.
Fry expressed a strong preference for being a Faithful rather than a Traitor, saying he dislikes plotting against others. “It’s mean and it’s annoying to have to find that side of oneself… You can see from the previous series that being a Traitor is really quite stressful,” he explained.
The Celebrity Traitors launches on Wednesday 8 October at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with two episodes per week on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The celebrities are playing for a chance to win up to £100,000 for their chosen charities.
