Brief
Richard E Grant says he never expected his Celebrity Traitors slip‑up to be taken seriously
Grant explained the mistake during a Sunday interview, describing the show's isolating environment and his daughter's warning.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Actor Richard E Grant told the BBC on Sunday that he "never thought anyone would take it seriously" after he unintentionally revealed his role as a Traitor on the reality series Celebrity Traitors. The slip‑up occurred in the opening episode, where he was paired with Love Island presenter Maya Jama as one of the two initial Traitors.
What happened
During the first round of the game, Grant answered a question from fellow contestant Joe Lycett – "are you a traitor?" – with an affirmative response, assuming the comment would be taken as a joke. The other players, however, treated the admission as genuine, and Grant was immediately nominated for elimination. At the round‑table vote he received a majority of votes, including those from Maya Jama and comedian James Acaster, becoming the first contestant to be banished.
What was said
In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire, Grant said: "I never thought they would take me seriously. When he (Joe Lycett) said ‘are you a traitor?’ we had just come out of the roundtable being nominated and I thought ‘yeah, isn’t everybody going to say that’ and they didn’t, so I paid the price." He added that the game's psychological pressure – isolation, a guard at the door, no internet and strict dress codes – made it hard to gauge reactions. "You are so institutionalised in that thing within 24 hours, because you are isolated, kept in a room… you are kind of infantilised and institutionalised at the same time," he explained.
How it came about
Before joining the show, Grant said his daughter warned him he would be "slaughtered" because he was "incapable of hiding what you feel about people or anything". After the incident, comedian Joe Lycett suggested Grant try to backpedal, calling the move "a bold strategy". Grant later described the mistake as possibly "the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life" and said he would not watch the episode, finding it uncomfortable to see himself unscripted.
Key facts
- Richard E Grant accidentally admitted he was a Traitor on the first episode of Celebrity Traitors. (independent.co.uk)
- He was the first contestant to be banished after the round‑table vote. (independent.co.uk)
- Grant said he thought his confession would be taken as a joke. (independent.co.uk)
- Joe Lycett asked Grant if he was a Traitor, prompting the slip‑up. (independent.co.uk)
- Grant described the show's isolating environment as "institutionalised" and "infantilised". (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Richard E Grant never thought Celebrity Traitors blunder would be taken 'seriously'”
