The new series of The Celebrity Traitors may have only aired two episodes, but actor Richard E Grant has already become a fan favourite after his huge blunder just minutes into the opening show.
Now a star of the first series and friend of Richard – actress Celia Imrie – has spoken out about the warning she gave him before his appearance, something he clearly forgot to heed.
Celia Imrie's warning to Richard E Grant
The former Dinnerladies actress has opened up about her chat with Richard ahead of him filming for the new season, hosted once again by Claudia Winkleman. Viewers saw how in the first episode last week, she secretly chose Richard to be one of the Traitors.
However, no sooner had the contestants – who include Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, and Joanne McNally – taken off their blindfolds, Richard dropped his gaffe.
When quizzed about whether he was a Traitor or a Faithful by his fellow contestants, he instantly confessed his true role, before clocking his blunder and frantically trying to backtrack. But the other celebrities were swift to spot his gaffe, and doubts started bubbling to the surface.
Richard's slip-up on the show
Now Celia has shared details of her chat with Richard. She told The Times how she had warned him it would be hard to keep his “brain working” at all hours while filming the deceptive game show.
Celia told the Saltburn star ahead of his time in the show’s Scottish castle that the game is “very strict” and “it’s hard always being on”.
“[He] rang me up and asked what it was like. I said I didn’t quite know what I was letting myself in for,” she said. “But it was good fun, although it’s very strict and there is an element of cruelty about the game,” she added.
How the Traitors were chosen
Richard and Love Island host Maya Jama were the two Traitors chosen by Claudia. She then instructed them to pick two contestants who would plead their cases to them as to why they should become the third Traitor – the one they didn't choose would immediately be murdered.
After selecting Amol Rajan and James Acaster and hearing their cases, they picked the comedian to join them while Amol was confined to the coffin.
After Richard's now-legendary slip-up, Claudia remarked about his response to being chosen as a Traitor: "He was just so happy, he couldn't believe it."
While Richard, 69, is clearly making his mark on viewers, Celia was also a hit before him – particularly when she owned up to farting during a challenge which had her fellow contestants in fits of giggles.
Celebrity Traitors is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
