Highlights
- Richard E Grant accidentally revealed he was a Traitor moments after being chosen for the role
- Claudia Winkleman made a dramatic entrance in a coffin as the second series began
- Ross Kemp, James Blunt and the rest of the celebrity cast faced a chaotic first mission
The second series of The Celebrity Traitors has got off to a chaotic start, with Richard E Grant making a major blunder just moments after being chosen as one of the Traitors.
Grant and Maya Jama were selected as two of Claudia Winkleman’s three Traitors. However, the actor appeared to forget the secret nature of the role and excitedly told people around him that he was a Traitor.
The revelation left the other celebrities stunned, with singer James Blunt joking that Grant needed to make it clear that he was not a Traitor.
Grant later admitted that his outburst could have been the “biggest mistake” of his life.
“I was so thrilled to have been chosen as a Traitor that in my unguarded excitement, I said, ‘Of course I’m a Traitor’,” he explained.
He then tried to work out how to reduce the suspicion surrounding him, while Jama remained more composed as the pair began making decisions as Traitors.
Claudia Winkleman arrives in a coffin
The episode began with an equally theatrical moment as Winkleman was carried into a church in a closed coffin by druids before emerging to greet the 21 celebrities.
Jerry Hall quickly compared the presenter to Cleopatra, calling her “Claudiapatra”.
Winkleman had previously said she loved the dramatic entrance, although she revealed she had considered hiding inside the castle’s suit of armour instead.
Ross Kemp becomes paranoid
The celebrities were also thrown into their first mission, with former EastEnders star Ross Kemp and James Blunt taking charge of the teams.
The pair helped the group successfully find treasure on a pirate ship, winning £15,000 for the prize fund.
Kemp's nerves returned once the group was back at the castle. After Bella Ramsey placed a captain’s hat on his head and Leigh-Anne Pinnock touched his arm, he became worried that either moment could have been a sign that a Traitor had targeted him.
The paranoia amused Uncloaked host Ed Gamble, who described the contrast between Kemp’s tough-guy image and his fear of being touched as one of the funniest moments of the episode.
Amol Rajan and James Acaster face a twist
The episode ended with Grant and Jama having to choose their third Traitor.
Amol Rajan and James Acaster were selected to meet the pair and argue why they should remain in the game. The winner would join Grant and Jama as a Traitor, while the loser would become the first murder victim.
Rajan argued that his ability to identify liars could make him useful to the Traitors, while Acaster warned Grant that his elimination would immediately draw suspicion towards him.
Both men were then placed in coffins to await their fate, bringing the episode full circle after Winkleman’s dramatic opening.
With Grant already having drawn attention to himself, the question now is whether he can survive the suspicion surrounding his very public Traitor confession.
