Celebrity Traitors fans are eagerly awaiting news of Richard E Grant's destiny, while also seeking insights into the actor's private life. BBC audiences were stunned when, during the opening episode of this year's Celebrity Traitors, Saltburn actor Richard E Grant revealed he'd been selected as a Traitor. Although he attempted to dismiss it as jest, doubts have been cast and this evening, Thursday, October 8, the remaining celebrities must determine whether to vote for his banishment.
Inside Richard E Grant's home
The former Downton Abbey actor resides in an 1830s Georgian Rectory located in Petersham, Richmond, which he characterised as a "classic child's drawing of a square-shaped house with chimneys." He went on to tell The English Home: "Crammed to the gunnels sums it up. It's maximalist from top to bottom and everything sideways and in between. Every room is a different colour and is jam-packed with 'loot'. I find minimalism fascistic, cold and utterly boring. Taupe walls, a single piece of stick furniture and four anorexic vases with a flower angled in each one is my idea of 'interiors-hell'."
When asked whether he'd ever taken props home after working on a production, Richard confessed that while it was "increasingly difficult", this hadn't prevented him from "ceaselessly trying". He revealed: "Whilst filming at Shepperton Studios some years ago, I salvaged two giant plinths used on that set that had been dumped in a skip, which are now in my garden."
Richard E Grant's wife
Richard shared his home with wife Joan, who was also a "lifelong collector" with a passion for scouring antique shops to discover treasures for their residence. The pair first crossed paths at the Actor's Centre in London during the 1980s and tied the knot in 1986, later welcoming daughter Olivia, while Joan already had son Tom from an earlier relationship.
Born in Aberdeen, Joan carved out a career as a dialect coach spanning nearly 40 years within the entertainment world, contributing to major productions including Highlander and The Favourite. Joan tragically died of lung cancer in 2021 aged 74 following her diagnosis the previous year.
He poignantly told The Guardian two years ago: "I write to her every night. [I write down] everything. Stuff I know would amuse her... I have no spiritual or religious delusion that I'm ever going to get a reply." He subsequently turned to Instagram to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his beloved's death, sharing with his 1.2 million followers how deeply he cherished their time together.
He revealed: "Reflecting back on what it's like to grieve somebody, I feel unbelievable gratitude that I had almost four decades with her, because more than anybody in the whole world that I have ever met, she got me. I got her, and that seems to be the kind of holy grail gift that I never anticipated I would find in my life. I sure did with her."
Celebrity Traitors continues every Thursday and Friday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
