Celebrity Traitors star Joanne McNally has said she "hates [herself]" after strongly believing Richard E Grant was a Faithful on the BBC show. The comedian defended the actor at the roundtable after he confessed to being a Traitor, claiming his admission "was such an obvious joke" and suggesting those "vying for Richard" were using him as a "decoy".
McNally brands herself 'gullible'
Reflecting on the moment with Vogue Williams on their podcast, My Therapist Ghosted Me, McNally branded herself "gullible" and admitted she cannot watch it back. "I've very clearly taken the wrong route, I mean we know Richard's a Traitor and we know that I'm defending him to the hilt. And when I say I have never believed something more than he was a Faithful, it was wild," she claimed.
The 43-year-old said she "believed" all the Traitors' "lies", teasing: "I go out and ride at dawn for them and I make a show of myself." Sharing her thoughts, Vogue said it "could not be more obvious" that he is a Traitor after he made the admission on the very first day.
'He's a really good actor'
However, insisting it is very different during filming, McNally replied: "Vogue, you have not been looked in the eye by Richard E Grant and told he's a Faithful, you haven't. You don't know that experience, you don't know how convincing he is, it turns out he's a really good actor and it turns out I am the most gullible human alive and I'm a male apologist."
McNally went on to say she was convinced that Leigh-Anne Pinnock was a Traitor, only to be proved wrong so far. "It's all easy when you've got all the information, when you're in there your nervous system is on fire. I have an overreactive nervous system at the best of times," she joked.
First banishment looms
Reflecting on the first roundtable result, the comedian teased: "That's quite something, wait until you see what happens there." Sharing her predictions, Vogue said she believes Richard will be the first to go. The actor is one of three Traitors alongside Maya Jama and James Acaster, who was recruited.
Tonight, viewers will find out who will be the first celebrity to be banished from the Castle. This comes after Amol Rajan became the first contestant to be murdered. Amol's exit came after he and James put forward their pleas as to why they believed they should be the third Traitor. After deliberating, Richard and Maya decided to recruit James.
Reflecting on his short-lived experience on the show, Amol said: "It's absolutely horrible. It was horrible at the time. Just so people know when you are on The Traitors, it is your world. It's not like a game, you are hundreds of miles from your family, you don't have your phone, it's so intense, it's a little bubble. So as you walk into that chapel you are absolutely terrified." He said that, due to the nature of his career as a journalist, he "should have known" he would be a target and went on to call Richard "the lord of chaos". Celebrity Traitors airs Thursdays and Fridays from 8pm on BBC One.
