Richard E Grant received a warning from former Celebrity Traitors contestant Celia Imrie before joining the BBC show, yet still made a major blunder minutes into the first episode.
Imrie has revealed the advice she gave the actor before he began filming season two of the programme, presented by Claudia Winkleman. In last week's opening episode, viewers saw her secretly select Richard to become one of the Traitors.
Advice from a former contestant
Speaking to The Times, Imrie explained she had told Richard how challenging it would be to keep his "brain working" around the clock while filming. She described the contest, based at a Scottish castle, as "very strict" and said "it's hard always being on".
Imrie said: "[He] rang me up and asked what it was like." She added: "I said I didn't quite know what I was letting myself in for. But it was good fun, although it's very strict and there is an element of cruelty about the game."
Richard's catastrophic slip-up
Barely had the contestants - including Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, and Joanne McNally - removed their blindfolds when Richard made his mistake. Asked whether he was a Traitor or a Faithful by his co-stars, he immediately revealed his actual position before attempting to cover his tracks.
Richard and Love Island presenter Maya Jama were the two Traitors selected by Claudia. She directed them to choose two contestants who would make their case as to why they should be the third Traitor - the one they did not select would be instantly killed off. After considering Amol Rajan and James Acaster, they chose the comedian to join their ranks while Amol was sent to the coffin.
Claudia's reaction to Richard's blunder
Following Richard's now-infamous mistake, Claudia commented on his reaction to being chosen as a Traitor: "He was just so happy, he couldn't believe it."
Richard, 69, is making a lasting impression on viewers, while Imrie had her own memorable moments during her time on the show - especially when she confessed to breaking wind during a challenge, sending her fellow contestants into fits of laughter. Celebrity Traitors is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
