Richard E. Grant has been expelled from the Celebrity Traitors castle, becoming the first celebrity eliminated through the roundtable vote in the show's history.
The actor's exit came at the end of the second episode, which concluded with a cliff-hanger as the 21 celebrity contestants assembled for their first roundtable banishment. Presenter Claudia Winkleman had divided the group into Faithfuls and Traitors, selecting Love Island host Maya Jama and Richard as her Traitor pair.
A costly confession
Richard's identity did not stay concealed for long. He committed a major error when he revealed to a room packed with Faithfuls that he was indeed a Traitor, moments after his selection. The admission triggered suspicion throughout the castle, with some players wondering whether the confession was genuine or part of a broader strategy.
The 69-year-old later disclosed in his confessional that the admission was a complete accident, and hoped to restore his reputation in the forthcoming days.
Recruitment and banishment
Before the roundtable, Maya and Richard enlisted comedian James Acaster as their third Traitor. His recruitment resulted in the elimination of journalist Amol Rajan, who failed to survive the first banishment.
Richard was then banished after an almost unanimous vote. Although he was well-regarded by his fellow contestants, they could not overlook his earlier confession.
Reaction and impact
The actor felt let down but marked his unique departure. "I have managed to checkmate myself, which, as far as I'm aware, has never been done," he remarked following his elimination.
The Faithfuls have now successfully removed a Traitor within the first week of the competition. Despite his swift expulsion, Richard fulfilled "one of his dreams" on the show. Speaking prior to being selected as a Traitor, he said: "If I was lucky enough to be a Traitor that would be one of my dreams come true. In real life, you have so little control over anything. Whereas, in this game, the only vestige of control that you can possibly have is to be a Traitor. If you're playing the game, you're playing the game. Friendships mean diddly-squat."
The elimination was not unexpected for viewers at home, though audiences were disappointed to witness his departure. One X user wrote: "It's annoying man, because I think that Richard would have been brilliant if he stayed longer lol #CelebrityTraitors." Another added: "Absolutely gutted for Richard. He would've given us so many iconic moments. #Traitors #CelebrityTraitors."
Other viewers expressed support for the ousted star. "What a glorious exit from Richard! Bring him back next year! #CelebrityTraitors," one commented, while another wrote: "no way these lot did it first round table #CelebrityTraitors."
The Celebrity Traitors season 2 is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
