Richard E. Grant has rejected suggestions that he deliberately exposed his identity as a Traitor on the BBC show Celebrity Traitors to escape filming duties. The 69-year-old actor described the rumours as "categorically false" in a statement on his Instagram story.
Grant was among 21 contestants who entered the gameshow earlier this month. He was quickly selected as one of Claudia Winkleman's Traitors, alongside Love Island host Maya Jama. The pair were expected to conceal their true identities from the other contestants, but Grant revealed himself moments after being chosen.
What happened during the show
The incident occurred when comedian Joe Lycett asked Grant if he was a Faithful or a Traitor, to which Grant answered: "Traitor." His admission left the other stars stunned, and they eventually banished him because they could not overlook the blunder.
While many viewers believed the slip-up was a genuine mistake, others questioned whether the Oscar nominee had deliberately orchestrated the scene to shorten his time on the show while still receiving his appearance fee.
Grant's response to the claims
Writing on his Instagram story, Grant said: "I usually wouldn't comment on things like this, but I've been made aware some press outlets are suggesting I 'staged' my Traitors reveal to get out of filming. This is categorically false."
He added: "I'm an avid fan of the show and have been since it first aired. Being picked as a Traitor when I was convinced I'd be a Faithful was an absolute dream and a sheer shock to the system."
Aftermath of the reveal
Grant described his blunder as "the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life," shortly after the reveal. He attempted to "diffuse all the heat" directed at him following the gaffe, but the Faithfuls could not overlook his admission.
He was subsequently voted out during the show's first roundtable vote, becoming the first Traitor to be eliminated from the castle at the opening vote. After his departure, Grant clarified that the slip-up was never part of a grander game plan.
"The strategy of no strategy is the strategy, clearly. I'd watched every iteration that I possibly could have of this game and I was manifesting, willing myself to get invited to be a Traitor so receiving that...well, I lost all sense of self control," he said. Celebrity Traitors is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
