Richard E. Grant ignites ‘teeth’ war with Rob Beckett amid Traitors banter
The Withnail and I star has traded blows online with comic Rob as Traitors viewers wait to discover whether the Faithfuls will banish him.
Richard E. Grant has reignited his unlikely Celebrity Traitors feud with Rob Beckett – by revisiting the question about the comedian’s teeth that became one of the breakout jokes of the new series.
The 69-year-old Withnail and I actor traded insults with Rob Beckett, 40, in an Instagram video posted on Wednesday (07,10.26), ahead of Thursday night’s third episode of the BBC One hit.
Richard’s fate is hanging in the balance after the second episode ended midway through the first round table, where his fellow contestants were closing in on him following his extraordinary decision to tell Joe Lycett, 38, he was a Traitor.
The series returns at 8pm on Thursday.
Referring to the moment when Rob questioned him about his approach to the game, Richard asked in the new video: “Do you have more teeth than a normal person?”
Rob fired back: “Richard do you have more forehead that a normal person?”
“I don’t know what you possibly mean Rob,” Richard replied, before sticking a yellow Post-it note bearing the word “Traitor” prominently on his forehead.
Richard then laughed and held his hand to his forehead before displaying another note promoting the next instalment: “Traitors ep 3, BBC1 8pm Thursday.”
He captioned the video: “Clearly, @robbeckettcomic and I are no longer on speaking terms!”
The exchange resurrected a scene from the second episode in which Rob tried to get Richard to explain what he described as his “bold strategy” as a Faithful.
Rob said: “Both of us wanted to be Traitors, how did you feel when you found out, I felt there was a relief to chill, how did you feel because you really wanted to be?”
Richard replied: “I know, the slates will be 15 people (with my name on it.)”
Rob added: “There will an expectation for you to explain your workings as it’s a bold strategy from a faithful.”
Richard attempted to derail the interrogation with the question: “Do you have more teeth than a normal person?”
The joke followed an even more damaging moment for Richard shortly after he was selected as a Traitor alongside Love Island presenter Maya Jama, 32.
While talking to Joe in the lounge, Richard was asked directly: “What are you?”
“A Traitor,” Richard replied with a grin.
Joe responded: “I think you’ve just done something that has never happened in the game... bold strategy.”
Richard and Maya subsequently faced another major decision when journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, 43, and comedian James Acaster, 41, were put forward as potential additions to their ranks.
James was recruited as the third Traitor, while Amol became the first contestant to be murdered.
Amol has since revealed he asked Richard why he had been eliminated and said Richard told him it had been an act of self-preservation.
He also admitted after leaving the castle that he believed he had “played the wrong game”.
The drama has helped propel the second celebrity series to record ratings.
Its opening episode averaged 8.9 million viewers overnight and peaked at just over nine million – the biggest launch audience for any UK edition of The Traitors.
The second episode drew an overnight audience of 8.6 million.
Away from Ardross Castle, Richard is currently appearing opposite Christine Baranski, 74, in Noël Coward’s Hay Fever at Wyndham’s Theatre in London, where the production runs until 12 December.
His four-decade screen career began with his defining role as the alcoholic out-of-work actor Withnail in Bruce Robinson’s 1987 cult comedy Withnail and I.
Richard later appeared in Gosford Park, Downton Abbey, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Saltburn, while his performance as Jack Hock opposite Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? earned him Oscar, Bafta and Golden Globe nominations.
Richard’s immediate concern on Celebrity Traitors, however, remains surviving the round table after Friday’s episode stopped before the contestants could reveal their votes.
Host Claudia Winkleman, 54, told the group: “Players the time for talk is over,” before the episode cut away, leaving Richard’s future unresolved until Thursday night.
