Celebrity Traitors contestant speaks out after banishment

Richard E Grant was “convinced” his fellow traitor James Acaster would not vote to banish him on The Celebrity Traitors.

The actor was banished from the game in Thursday’s episode after he accidentally revealed he was a traitor mere moments after the first roundtable.

He and fellow traitor Maya Jama recruited comedian James Acaster to join them after he said he would help to ease the other players’ suspicions of Grant.

They then murdered broadcaster Amol Rajan.

But at the latest roundtable, both of Grant’s fellow traitors voted to banish him.

Speaking on spin-off show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, Grant said: “I thought Maya would definitely stab me because I put her in an untenable position so I perfectly understood.

“I was so convinced by James Acaster’s determination not to kill me off when he gave his big plea in the church after Amol, I naively thought, ‘Oh well, maybe James, because he’s so trustworthy, he would come through for me.’

“Not one word came out of James’s mouth to support me.”

Grant also admitted there was “no tactic” to his decision to tell Joe Lycett that he was a traitor and he was simply so excited to be chosen.

He said: “When I walked into the bar, I was in such a state of genuine shock that I had no memory it was Joe Lycett who asked me that question.

“There was no tactic, it was my 69th birthday present. When Claudia tapped me on the shoulder, I went, yes!”

Grant also acknowledged that actress Miranda Hart had been suspicious of him even before the slip-up.

He said: “The roundtable bit, by the time Claudia has walked round four times, you think by that point, there’s no chance now.

“When she tapped me on the shoulder, I thought ‘Don’t show any emotion whatsoever and you try your best not to.’

“Of course, Miranda Hart, sitting right next to me, I think she said she could immediately feel the vibrations of joy coming out.”

After Grant’s banishment, Acaster and Jama recruited mathematician Hannah Fry to be a traitor.

After seeing her fellow traitors for the first time, she said: “I was sure you were faithfuls, you absolute legends.

“Oh, it’s going to be so fun!”

Later in the episode, actress Myha’la received the majority of votes from her fellow celebrities and was banished from the castle.

The Celebrity Traitors airs on Friday at 8pm on BBC One.

Published: 09/10/2026 by Radio NewsHub