Richard E Grant embroiled in Celebrity Traitors conspiracy
Richard E Grant has found himself at the centre of a Celebrity Traitors conspiracy theory amid suggestions he "staged" the confession blunder that led to his banishment.
Richard E Grant has found himself at the centre of a wild Celebrity Traitors conspiracy theory.
The 69-year-old actor became the first traitor to be kicked out of the castle in the second series of the BBC all-star show after he blurted out his status when Joe Lycett asked but now he's at the centre of swirling rumours suggesting he "staged" the confession blunder that led to his banishment in a bid to wrap up filming early.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Watching how it played out on the set, we’re all convinced he staged it. He was there for a good time, not a long time and what a way to go.
"Obviously he kept talking about his love of the show and had a brilliant time but Richard E Grant is not a stupid man."
The slip came when Joe Lycett asked: "What are you, Richard?" and the Withnail and I star replied: "A Traitor!"
However, Richard has since insisted it was just a catastrophic mistake and wasn't part of a game plan.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg TV programme, he explained: "I never thought they would take me seriously [when he said he was a traitor].
"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."
It was also revealed Richard gave away his traitor status again in a BBC Radio 6 Music interview in June - months before the show aired - and producers had to cut his comments out to avoid spoiling the show for anyone listening.
Hosts Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie explained: "Had [Traitors fans] been listening in June, you would have heard that he revealed it earlier, so we took this out because we didn’t want to spoil your enjoyment."
Richard said in the interview: "The very nature of being an actor is that you rely entirely on the camaraderie of the people that you are working with and to trust them, and when you are a Traitor it’s far more challenging than you might anticipate.
"You would think it would be easy for actors; I think the reverse is the case."
