Singer-songwriter James Blunt has revealed how he really felt about appearing on Celebrity Traitors. The 52-year-old claims the experience left him feeling "less positive" after watching the episodes on TV, saying its editing left out important context.
Blunt said he had initially felt upbeat about his time in the Scottish castle. But watching the BBC programme last month changed his view, and he said he would not repeat the experience.
Heavily edited episodes
Speaking to the Sunday Times, James explained: "Yet, when I saw it last month, I felt less positive, because it's so heavily edited. Obviously they have got to squeeze a day's worth of shooting into an hour – but a lot of context is removed. It was frustrating."
James appeared in the second series, which aired last month, but lost out to comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft. His comments come weeks after the series ended and six months after filming wrapped.
Wife signed him up
The You're Beautiful singer also revealed that taking part had not been his idea. His wife, lawyer Sofia Wellesley, signed him up through her friendship with host Claudia Winkleman.
Asked why he had signed up, James said: "I didn't. My wife did, because she's friends with Claudia," reports the Mirror.
He had previously told the Guardian that he had ruled out reality television before his wife enrolled him without telling him. He said: "I swore that I would never do a reality show. Ever. And I have lived and breathed by that proclamation. My manager doesn't even bring me those shows. But my wife signed me up to this without telling me. And I really wish she hadn't."
Album success
Despite his frustrations, James has acknowledged that one of his reasons for taking part was to promote his latest album, Airplane Mode, which was released shortly after the series finished airing.
The strategy appears to have paid off, with the album becoming his first UK number one since 2007. He also came close to securing a share of the show's prize fund for his chosen charity.
James catapulted to stardom with his debut album, Back to Bedlam, which ranks as the 26th-best-selling album in UK chart history when it was released in 2004. It is the biggest ever selling debut album by a British artist. The album's signature song, You're Beautiful, became one of the biggest hits of the year.
During his Sunday Times interview, James joked that he had asked whether Coldplay frontman Chris Martin would take part in the programme. His manager apparently replied: "James, you're not Chris Martin."
