Richard E Grant hits back at 'categorically false' claims he staged his Celebrity Traitors blunder to escape filming

Grant took to his Instagram story on Tuesday to declare he is 'an avid fan' of the show and that being chosen as a Traitor was 'an absolute dream'. Reports suggest many cast members were 'convinced he staged it' to avoid weeks on set. The BBC has already described the slip as an innocent mistake. At the roundtable, Grant became the first celebrity to be banished.

Joe Lycett, who heard his confession first, said: 'he absolutely meant it'.

His fellow traitors Maya Jama and James Acaster both voted to banish him.