Richard E Grant Explains Early Celebrity Traitors Exit Mistake

Actor Richard E Grant has explained why he was the first contestant removed from The Celebrity Traitors after revealing his traitor role too early, saying his mistake came from believing other players would not take the admission seriously.

Grant discussed the decision on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, where he said he misjudged the reaction of fellow contestants after being selected as a traitor alongside Maya Jama and later becoming the first person banished.

"I never thought they would take me seriously," said Richard E Grant, actor.

Grant said his daughter had warned before filming that he would struggle because he was unable to hide his feelings about people or situations.

"I suppose what I should have done in retrospect is go round everybody and say, 'Are you a traitor? Yeah. I am a traitor, I am Spartacus. I am a traitor', to try and make light of it, but that may have dug my grave even deeper," said Richard E Grant, actor.

He said he later recognized that joking about the confession might have changed how others interpreted the moment, although he believed it could also have worsened suspicion.

"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?!'. The strategy of no strategy is the strategy, clearly," said Richard E Grant, actor.

According to Grant, the show's isolated environment quickly affected contestants by limiting normal routines and access to outside information.

"You are so institutionalised in that thing within 24 hours, because you are isolated, kept in a room, there is a guard outside your door, your food is delivered and there’s no internet access, so you are kind of shut down. You are also not told what time it is and are also prescribed on a daily basis what you are going to wear. So, you are kind of infantilised and institutionalised at the same time," said Richard E Grant, actor.

Grant said he has avoided watching the series because the unscripted nature of the program makes seeing himself uncomfortable.

"It’s a weird thing because as an actor it is very uncomfortable to watch yourself, and if you watch yourself unscripted – which Traitors is – there’s no place to hide. That is unequivocally you," said Richard E Grant, actor.

In the first episode, Grant admitted his role after Joe Lycett asked whether he was a traitor. Lycett described the move as something unusual in the game before Grant was later eliminated at the roundtable.

"I think you’ve done something that’s never been done in the game. It’s a bold strategy," said Joe Lycett, comedian.

Grant left the competition after receiving votes from most contestants, including fellow traitors Maya Jama and James Acaster, while host Claudia Winkleman told the group their first attempt had identified a traitor.

"Players, this has never happened before. Your first try and you got one," said Claudia Winkleman, host.