Alan Carr reveals that he felt 'underestimated' on The Celebrity Traitors
The Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr has described how hosting the Channel 4 series Secret Genius made him feel as though he was "underestimated" on the BBC show last year.
Alan Carr felt "underestimated" on The Celebrity Traitors.
The 49-year-old comedian bluffed his way to victory in the BBC reality show last year and says that his experiences on the programme allowed him to relate to the contestants on the second series of Secret Genius - the Channel 4 programme in which he and Countdown star Susie Dent attempt to discover unsung but clever people in the UK.
Alan, who started filming Secret Genius just a day after his victory on The Celebrity Traitors, told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I'd gone from this judging, stereotyping, underestimation and there had been a lot of judging.
"You can't blame them because that's part of the game, isn't it? And then here we are, all these people who've been underestimated for their whole lives, by their family, by their employer, by their friends, by teachers. And I was like, 'Oh yeah, I sort of know how you feel really.'
"Then watching them grow and the doubt melt away. I mean, it was so lovely. It's a warm, fun show."
Alan explained that the contestants on Secret Genius are very different from the cocky type so often seen on programmes such as The Apprentice and Love Island.
The comic quipped: "There's no one with Turkey teeth, no one with abs.
"This is a different kind of person. They do not want to be in the limelight. They don't want to steal my job. But they would like a second chance, and they would like a bit of fulfilment. Viewers are going to fall in love with these people, I can just tell."
Meanwhile, Susie was thrilled to see how quickly the contestants bonded.
The 61-year-old lexicographer said: "There were some lovely recognition moments as they found their tribe - finally, some people that were like them. They'd always thought they were quite odd for remembering number plates or bus time tables and finally they had found someone else who did exactly the same thing - that was lovely."
Susie was also amazed to see the confidence of the participants grow.
She said: "There are some jaw-dropping moments. When you see how quickly they do these really, really hard tests, your jaw just hits the floor."
