Ricky Gervais has vowed he will never take part in one of the BBC's biggest phenomenons. Celebrity Traitors has arguably become one of the most beloved and acclaimed competition programmes in living memory, yet the 65-year-old actor and comedian is absolutely certain about his stance.
Gervais explains his refusal
Gervais has just marked the release of his animated Netflix series, Alley Cats, and remains universally recognised for his legendary role in The Office. During a conversation with Saga Magazine, Ricky Gervais revealed while he enjoyed spending his evenings catching up on television, the BBC's Celebrity Traitors has never held any appeal for him.
He shared: "It's not that it's beneath me. I'd love to play Traitors, but I don't want to be filmed playing. What good can come of that? I like watching MMA [Mixed Martial Arts], I don't want to do it. I don't want to be doing something I'm not in control of. I don't want to be away from home playing a game with strangers."
Previous comments on reality TV
This is not the first occasion he has made clear his reluctance to participate in celebrity reality television, having expressed identical sentiments on Heart Breakfast back in December 2025.
"I wouldn't go on celebrity anything. No, there's nothing with celebrity in front of it that you could tempt me with," he admitted, before quipping: "If it is just me in a five-star hotel room, then I might do it."
Ricky continued: "Turn the cameras off because they've got nothing. I don't want to do anything. It is a no to everything. Big Brother, oh my God, that's the worst! On every level, sharing a house with strangers."
He also joked that he could never appear on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! owing to his crippling fear of spiders.
Celebrity Traitors returns
The second series of Celebrity Traitors is set to return to BBC One later this year, with the line-up already generating considerable excitement among fans.
The cast for series two features journalist Amol Rajan, actor Bella Ramsey, comedian James Acaster, singer James Blunt, model Jerry Hall and comedian Joanne McNally. Also amongst the confirmed names are comedian Joe Lycett, actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, content creator King Kenny, singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, presenter Maya Jama and actor Michael Sheen.
Completing the roster are actor Miranda Hart, actor Myha'la, mathematician Professor Hannah Fry, actor Richard E. Grant, comedian Rob Beckett, comedian Romesh Ranganathan, presenter Ross Kemp, musician and actor Sebastian Croft and actor Sharon Rooney.
The inaugural series of Celebrity Traitors aired in October 2025 and proved to be a resounding triumph, drawing a peak audience of 15.4 million viewers for the grand finale. Celebrity Traitors will return to BBC One later this year.
