Richard E. Grant's Bold Start on 'Celebrity Traitors' Sparks Fan Frenzy
The actor's immediate confession of being a Traitor has viewers comparing him to last season's winner, Alan Carr.
Richard E. Grant has quickly become a talking point on the new season of Celebrity Traitors, with viewers hailing him an 'icon' just moments into the show's launch. The actor, 69, was selected as a Traitor alongside Maya Jama, but appeared to make an immediate strategic misstep by revealing his role to fellow contestant Joe Lycett.
"I think you've just done something that has never happened in the game... bold strategy," Lycett commented after Grant grinned and admitted, "A Traitor."
Grant himself reflected on the rapid reveal, stating, "That may be the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life." His unconventional approach has drawn immediate comparisons to Alan Carr, the winner of the previous season, who masked his deception with a similarly jovial and seemingly obvious demeanor.
Fans took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice their reactions. Comments included "half an hour in and i've decided richard is already a hall of fame traitors contestant," "Alan Carr walked so Richard Grant could run," and "Richard E Grant may have already out done Alan Carr's performance and we're only on the first episode."
Fellow contestant Jerry Hall defended Grant, expressing disbelief that he would be a Traitor due to their long-standing friendship. "He says and does eccentric things," Hall remarked. "He is an amazing guy, but he is acting out because he wasn't chosen."
The premiere episode saw Grant and Jama tasked with selecting two new Traitors from the remaining contestants. In a tense cliffhanger, comedian James Acaster and journalist Amol Rajan were forced to plead their case while lying in coffins, with Grant and Jama deliberating over who to banish and who to recruit as a third Traitor. The decision was set to be revealed in the following episode.
Viewers on X also expressed a strong desire for Acaster not to be the first contestant eliminated, with comments such as "we simply cannot lose james acaster after one ep" and "If James Acaster has gone already I'll be gutted."