Alan Cumming, host of The Traitors US, has revealed that Claudia Winkleman leaves him secret notes on the makeup mirror when the UK and US versions of the show are filmed back to back in the same Scottish castle.
Appearing on Monday's (October 12) edition of The One Show with hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, Cumming was promoting his new musical about a ceilidh, described as one of Scotland's 'greatest traditions'. The X-Men star was also teased about secrets inside The Traitors' castle and reprising his role as Nightcrawler in the upcoming Avengers film. Comedian Jon Richardson, also a guest, discussed rediscovering his teenage diaries, which he has turned into a book releasing later this month.
Richard E. Grant's Traitor blunder
The conversation turned to The Celebrity Traitors, with Cumming asked about the latest series featuring his friend Richard E. Grant. Alex Jones noted that "it gets intense quickly" regarding Grant's short-lived performance as a Traitor.
Cumming responded: "I love Richard. We all love Richard. I just think he was so excited and he probably blurted it out. He has no filter in that way. It was so hilarious. No one has ever done it before (announced they were a Traitor). But it was perfect."
Claudia's touching gesture
Roman Kemp congratulated Cumming after The Traitors US won seven Emmy awards and asked about his presenting character, with Cumming explaining: "I always feel with costume designers, I go for a fitting and I go 'OK this is the character.' I know it says hosted by Alan Cumming but I feel very much that I play this Scottish laird - 'welcome to my castle'. It is clearly not my castle. I play a character that happens to host a show. That's the only way I could find to do it."
When asked about filming, Cumming confirmed the US and UK versions are shot back to back in the same location. He shared: "Either go first or second. Claudia usually leaves me a little note on the makeup mirror. It's usually that they (the UK) go first."
US version 'more camp'
Cumming described the difference between the two versions, claiming: "It's weird that the American version of the show is more camp. That might be my doing. I mean I was dressed like a coffin in the last series. It goes a bit more theatrical, even more so than the British one. And the players are a bit more effusive - loud."
The One Show airs Monday to Friday at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
