Richard E Grant has become the first celebrity banished from the castle on this year's BBC Celebrity Traitors, following a chaotic start to his time on the show. The Oscar-nominated actor, known for roles in Withnail and I and Saltburn, made no secret of his desire to be chosen as a traitor from the outset.
His wish was granted at the very first round table, but things quickly unravelled when he confessed to several fellow contestants that he was indeed a traitor. Despite frantic attempts to deflect suspicion, he was banished.
A Loss of Self Control
After his exit, Grant revealed he "lost all sense of self control" due to sheer excitement, partly blaming host Claudia Winkleman for taking so long to select him. "It was only on the fourth round of Claudia walking around that I was finally rewarded," he said, as reported by the Daily Star.
He described the tense atmosphere at the round table: "I'd heard such panic breathing from Miranda Hart on my right-hand side, coughing from Jerry Hall on my left. Between these two respiratory ladies, I nearly gave up hope."
Grant admitted he had watched every iteration of the game and was "manifesting, willing myself to get invited to be a Traitor so receiving that well, I lost all sense of self control." He conceded that he had brought about his own undoing, adding: "It was a completely catastrophically idiotic thing to do! I can only imagine the faces of the producers looking at each other and mouthing 'he said WHAT? !'".
Supporting a Charity Close to His Heart
Grant is currently appearing in Hay Fever at the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End. He recently sat for artist Frances Segelman at a special event at St Paul's Church Covent Garden, where guests watched him being sculpted live.
The event was staged to raise funds for Longfield Hospice, a charity that supported Grant's wife Joan Washington and their family when she lost her battle with cancer in 2021. Addressing the audience after the sculpture was completed, Grant spoke about how his wife had wished to spend her final days at home, a wish the hospice helped make a reality.
He said: "They assigned someone to stay with her throughout the night. It was extraordinary. These people are living saints. I'm in debt to them for the rest of my life."
Grant also reflected on his late wife's wish for him and their daughter to find a "pocket full of happiness" each day. He said: "My wife challenged my daughter and I to find a pocket of happiness in every day. At the time I thought it was some sort of cheesy Hallmark thing. But it's given us permission to do things. I'm very indebted to her for that."
Not Watching the Show
While sidestepping questions about Celebrity Traitors, Grant let slip that he hasn't been keeping up with the show. He said: "I don't know who is going to win. I'm in a play so I haven't been able to watch it."
