Joe Marler has revealed the unusual instruction from producers that left him baffled when he first met Celia Imrie on The Celebrity Traitors. The former England rugby star, 36, said he was told not to speak to the actress before cameras started rolling, a rule he described as "so rude."
First Meeting on the BBC Show
Speaking on his podcast, Joe Marler Will See You Now, the pair reminisced about their first encounter. Celia, 74, pointed out how much Marler had laughed when they initially crossed paths. "Now, the thing is, what I love about you is, Joe, the minute you see me, you start laughing," she said.
Marler admitted he could not help himself, explaining that their first meeting had left him feeling particularly giddy. He recalled getting into a Land Rover, where he was told another contestant would soon join him but was not allowed to speak to them until filming began.
Producers' Strict Instruction
"'Don't speak to them. You don't know who they are'," he remembered being told. "I went, 'What do you mean, don't speak to him?' Like, 'That's so rude.'"
Marler explained that he had been sitting in the vehicle covering his face when he heard the door open and Celia joined him. He said he was already giggling by the time she climbed in, despite not knowing who he was about to meet. "I was so nervous. I was giggling," he said.
Reunion and Show Memories
He then described looking at his new companion and questioning why she was laughing, before realising exactly who had joined him. "And I was like, 'It's Celia Imrie'," he recalled.
The pair also reflected on their time together on the programme, having not properly reunited since the show's final viewing. Marler made it all the way to the final of the BBC competition, while Celia exited in a dramatic twist, having been murdered in plain sight by eventual winner comedian Alan Carr.
Celia provided one of the series' most memorable moments after passing wind during a tense mission in a cabin. Presenter Claudia Winkleman asked: "What just happened?" Celia replied: "I just farted, Claudia. It's nerves, but I always own up."
