Joe Lycett has pleaded with producers to allow him back into Celebrity Traitors after he was banished from the Scottish castle last night. The devastated comic received 10 fatal votes at the Round Table, but feared he had already sealed his fate the night before by banging on about his desire to be recruited by the traitors.
It made him an easy target despite his protestations and pleading with his co-stars that he had just been “giddy”. The comic, 38, described his three week experience as “joyous, thrilling and infuriating” and still believes it might not be over.
Joe Lycett pleads for a second chance
Joe said: “I’d like to motivate the Traitors to find an unknown clause in the contract that can bring back a Faithful that's been banished to recruit because I'm there if they want me!”
Although a bold move, Joe regretted telling his fellow contestants how much he wanted to be a Traitor: “I’m a silly billy - it was a combination of me begging for recruitment and then the Faithful being thick as mince and not thinking the obvious recruitment would be Joe. I don't blame them, because I would have done the same. I concede I've done this very much to myself, but I was too hungry to be recruited. And you know, if being passionate is a crime, then banish me from the castle.”
His co-stars were convinced of his guilt with James Blunt describing him as “so Cruella De Vil”. Nevertheless Joe’s stint on the BBC game had been beyond what he was expecting.
Gratitude and reflection
“It was so much more immersive, and I cared so much more about it than I thought I would,” the Faithful said. “When you're in it, it is your whole life.”
Speaking of life, he reckons Claudia Winkleman had changed his life a little bit: “The word that comes to mind for this whole experience is gratitude. It's made me really grateful for my life. I'm really grateful that I am in a position that I get to experience this, because I'm famous enough to be in the mix. I loved having my phone taken away from me, and I'm really grateful for the fact that I have a lovely life to miss. It's been full on, but there's been lots of periods where I've been able to pause and reflect.”
Now Joe is backing another comic to triumph: “I think Romesh is a front runner. I think he's kind of unreadable but may get heat just on that basis. Then I think there could be a real curve ball, like Jerry or Joanne, someone who's playing it in a way that's out there.”
Statues and suspicions
In yesterday’s episode the celebrities were split into two groups and sent off into the woods in search of giant statue heads by answering questions based on their personalities. They then had to drag the heads and reconnect them with various body parts to earn money for charity.
Some of the statue parts sparked sniggers from the celebs and Joe quipped: “The body looked like a certain part you might find on man.” Michael Sheen was more blunt: “That looks like a c*ck.”
They successfully rebuilt five of six statues and Traitor Maya Jama was given a shield. Suspicions remained for James Blunt who Jerry Hall described as “pretty smooth like butter dripping off hot corn”, and also Joanne McNally who had made a blunder at the Round Table the night before.
Following Joe’s banishment the three Traitors were tasked with murdering a celebrity “out in the open”. James Acaster, Maya Jama and Kibt Kenny had to spray powder from a peacock shaped bottle and then bore someone to death.
Jerry Hall and Ross Kemp fell into the trio’s trap joining them in the library while the Traitors attempted to get one of them to yawn with their inane chat and seal their fate.
Miranda Hart's emotional reaction
Comedian Miranda Hart found Joe’s exit so upsetting she cried afterwards. The comedian had to be consoled by Traitor James Acaster following her friend’s banishment and explained: “I can’t talk about Joe I’m blinded by love.”
Miranda refused to vote for Joe at the Round Table and fighting back the tears she said: “Connection and laughter and joy are bigger in this game. To meet someone (and) play and laugh.”
Fortunately Miranda’s mood was lifted by Leigh-Anne Pinnock who offered to teach her the dance steps to Little Mix hit, Touch. She quipped while shaking her body: “it’s Little Mix and Big Mix.”
Miranda is in a major comeback journey in Celebrity Traitors and was also amazed by how she has coped with so many physical tasks after enduring health issues like Lyme disease and ME: “Three or four years ago I thought I may never have a stroll around a park again, it’s exciting.”
