Amol Rajan, the first contestant murdered in the new series of The Celebrity Traitors, has described how the atmosphere among the cast shifted from "nice" to "nasty" once the Traitors were selected.
Speaking to Radio Times after his exit, Rajan said: "It's an amazing thing, the atmosphere goes from extremely nice, one thing about this year's show which I think is great, everyone is really nice." He added: "I'm sure the previous series is the same and maybe the civilian series as they call it is the same. But I can say, hand on heart, everyone in there is so nice until the Traitors are picked."
Sharp turn in the castle
Rajan explained that the mood changed abruptly once the Traitors were chosen. "Because then it goes from nice to nasty, because then suddenly, all these people you've been getting to know a little bit, having a bit of breakfast and downtime with and chatting to in the castle, suddenly, they're like, 'Are you trying to kill me?'"
He noted that suspicion spread widely among the participants. "So there is this sudden atmosphere, sadly I didn't get to experience very much of it but in my time, there is this very sharp moment when nice becomes really nasty. And I would say that nastiness is quite evenly distributed, because even people that you think of as really nice, the Romeshs, the Robs, the Joannes, even then, you suspect that maybe they're trying their best to kill you."
Rajan reflects on his brief stint
After his departure, Rajan also spoke to the BBC about his time on the programme, describing it as "much bigger than I expected" and "an absolutely unforgettable ride of a lifetime."
He said: "And honestly, there's kind of an unhappy contrast right now, because I'm sort of grieving what might have been. In time I know that I'll come to look on this as honestly one of the greatest privileges of my life. In fact, I already do." He added: "What an amazing thing to do, and it was bigger, it was bolder, it was braver, it was brighter than it looks on TV. And to have been sort of in it when it's a show and a game I love so much is just a blessing, really."
Series continues this week
The Celebrity Traitors returned for a second series on BBC, following Alan Carr's victory last year. Richard E Grant and Maya Jama are currently competing as Traitors, with Grant having already slipped up when questioned by Joe Lycett before retracting his comments. James Acaster was recruited as a Faithful, and Amol Rajan was murdered.
The series features a line-up including Bella Ramsey, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Joanne McNally, Julie Hesmondhalgh, King Kenny, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Myha'la, Professor Hannah Fry, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Ross Kemp, Sebastian Croft and Sharon Rooney. Celebrity Traitors continues on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with two episodes airing each week on Thursdays and Fridays.
