Celebrity Traitors has returned to screens this month, with 21 famous faces competing to win £100,000 for charity. Among the celebrities are Richard E Grant and Jerry Hall, whose close friendship spans over three decades.
A Bond Beyond the Neighbourhood
Although the actor may plot against the American supermodel in the show, their connection goes deeper than Richard being her "neighbour" in Richmond, London. The 70s fashion icon hinted at their bond after the Dracula star admitted he was a Traitor.
Despite doubts lingering, Jerry quickly defended the actor, unknowingly dismissing rightful suspicion. She told the others: "I just don't believe Richard's a Traitor. I know Richard. I've known him 30 years, and he's my neighbour. He says and does eccentric things. He's an amazing guy, but I think he's, like, acting out because he's not been chosen."
Shared Memories and Roles
In addition to living in the same neighbourhood, the 69-year-old attended Jerry's wedding to media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 2016. The pair had also been pictured sharing a laugh at the 2003 Chelsea Flower Show.
The following year, Jerry and Richard both landed roles in the family fantasy film Tooth, playing Jarvis Jarvis and Bon Bon, respectively. The model later reflected on the film, saying: "It was ridiculous."
The 70-year-old added: "We had such a laugh, and I went on holiday with him earlier this year, just after Christmas, to Africa with some friends. And we danced all night. We had so much fun! Little did we know back then that we'd both be here [on Celebrity Traitors]."
Geriatrics of the Group
Richard joked about him and Jerry taking on physical challenges while filming Celebrity Traitors, labelling himself and the model "the geriatrics of the great group".
He said: "There's no preparation. Jerry Hall and I are the geriatrics of the great group. So, I'm rather hoping there will be some leeway about whether we're expected to bungee jump off the castle's wall."
This comes as the actor left bosses feeling "sick" after making the abrupt confession and later saying: "Well, that may be the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life."
The executive producer, Sarah Fay, said: "It was a mixture of a little bit of sick coming up in my mouth and a punch at the same time. We've never had anything like that happen before. I mean, within five minutes of being out of the roundtable, he'd already mucked up.
"I still can't believe it now. But yeah, I mean, how iconic! And as producers, you always want to make sure the series are fresh and new. And we've been very lucky so far. We've just come back from filming our seventh series."
She added: "We've just finished civilian, and every single series, luckily, the cast brings something completely different. But never in our wildest dreams did we think that we'd have a Traitor admit they were a Traitor five minutes after the roundtable."
