Richard E Grant says James Acaster 'didn't defend me at all' after Traitors betrayal
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Celebrity Traitors season two
Celebrity Traitors' star Richard E Grant has admitted that he made a ‘second calamitously ill-judged decision’ after choosing to recruit James Acaster as a Traitor.
Of course, viewers will be familiar with the 69-year-old's first ‘completely catastrophically idiotic’ mistake: proudly declaring himself as a Traitor within minutes.
In scenes from the opening episode of the new series, which kicked off last week, Joe Lycett began quizzing celebrities if they were a Faithful or a Traitor, to which Grant nonchalantly replied: “Traitor” without a moment’s hesitation.
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“What’s the point in being in the game if you’re not one?” he added.
That mistake led to him being banished on tonight’s episode, where Grant was able to - once again - tell his fellow contestants that he was indeed the Traitor, showing they’d made the right decision in getting rid of him.
Speaking after he was booted out, Grant said that while admitting to being a Traitor was a huge error on his part, it wasn’t the only mistake he made during his brief but memorable time in the castle.
The iconic actor said that he and Love Island host Maya Jama selecting comedian Acaster as their third Traitor was also a big mistake.
Opening up on why he chose Acaster over Amol Rajan, Grant revealed: “Amol had been asking me questions, and was absolutely vehement that I was definitely a Traitor. I knew that I was absolutely in his sights, and then James Acaster, I was told, was the most trustworthy player. So, if somebody was going to be able to calm the waters, deflect and defend my having said this stupid thing, he would be the one.”
However, he quickly learnt to regret that decision as Acaster ‘didn’t defend’ him when the time came.
“In retrospect, I made a second
calamitously ill-judged decision by choosing him because he didn't defend me at all,” he continued.
“All he was thinking about was I’m now a Traitor and I must get rid of Richard as quickly as possible, which he did. Exactly what I would have done if I'd had the smarts that he does!”
But, as you might have expected, Grant also admitted that he wasn’t exactly surprised about the outcome.
Commenting on being voted out by not only the Faithfuls but also his fellow Traitors, he added: “It didn't surprise me because they have to save themselves, and at the Round Table, James never uttered a word, other than when he was asked, ‘Who have you chosen and why?’ He never said a word before, so he clearly listened to everything, and it was a tsunami of my name round the table. So, to have gone against that like Joanne did is risking your neck.”
He’s also keeping his fingers crossed that a Traitor will win it.
“I truly hope and believe that Maya and James Acaster are going to win,” he said.
Elsewhere on tonight’s dramatic episode, US star Myha'la was also banished.
Topics: TV and Film, The Traitors, BBC
Claire Reid