Joe Marler, a finalist in last year's Celebrity Traitors, has revealed the key to winning the show: acting clueless. The former rugby star, 36, nearly claimed victory in the first spin-off series, losing to Alan Carr in the gripping finale. As the second instalment begins Thursday, he has offered advice to the new batch of celebrities heading to the Scottish castle.
Marler's Winning Strategy
Speaking to the Mirror, Marler said, "It was so much fun. It is a wild experience. I mean, like nothing else. If you want to get as far as possible you've got to play quite dumb. It was a natural role for me!"
He elaborated: "To get to the final, or as far as possible, you've got to play the sort of dumb character, play it down a little bit, just be friendly, not really interested in hunting down any of the Traitors, and they keep you by the side. Then you hope that at the last minute you can team up with someone and put all your trust in them. But then go in and that person doesn't betray you!"
Life After the Show
Marler, a former England and Harlequins prop, said his life has changed since appearing on the show, though his wife keeps him grounded. "Life's certainly got busier, especially compared to my first six months of retirement," he said. "That was sort of the honeymoon period, just at home all the time with the kids, loving life. I was able to chip in with the around the house and with the family. But part of me was 'hang on, I haven't got any work…. what am I actually doing?'"
He added: "Then the Traitors came up and it's 'f**k, I haven't got time to fart let alone spend lots of time with the kids!' I've been very, very busy and I'm very grateful for it and it is all off the back of the Traitors. I haven't even had much time at the weekend to take the boys to watch some rugby. So hopefully I will when time frees up a bit - or as my wife has warned me a number of times, when I become irrelevant to everyone, or I'm cancelled!"
Indulgent Breakfasts at the Castle
The show is known for its extravagant breakfasts, and Marler recalled his indulgence during production. Speaking to Richard Osman and Marina Hyde at their live version of The Rest is Entertainment podcast, he explained: "So you get flown up there and then you get shoved in the Marriott Hotel in Inverness Airport. It was gorgeous! I was in the room, you put a card under the door, your food gets brought to you, you can have as much as you like. There's no interaction with anyone, any other contestants and then you're taken to the castle."
He warned: "For the first bit of enjoying yourself, just watch what you're eating, to go in there and put on eight kilos. Some people engage in a second breakfast, some people it would be their first breakfast. Some people it might be a third breakfast."
