Richard E. Grant tells fellow contestants he is a Traitor just minutes after being sworn to secrecy
From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026.
The cast of 21 celebrities competing in Celebrity Traitors series two, which the BBC plans to use tonight to warn 3.7 million households watching without a valid licence that they risk a £1,000 fine.
Richard E. Grant blew his cover within 20 minutes of being secretly sworn in as a Traitor on Celebrity Traitors season two, telling fellow contestant Joe Lycett 'I am a traitor' in what Claudia Winkleman later attributed to sheer excitement. Lycett asked 'Are you?' before Grant appeared to backtrack, while James Blunt drily called it 'an interesting angle.' Grant and Maya Jama — both revealed as this year's Traitors — then faced their first murder decision, choosing between James Acaster and Amol Rajan in a cliffhanger ending.
Fans believe Amol Rajan was the first to be murdered, with viewers noting Grant and Jama appeared to look toward his coffin as Claudia closed it.
Maya Jama declared 'my villain era has begun' after being picked, while Grant said he 'cannot wait to start murdering.'
Filming was reportedly paused earlier in the series after castmates raised concerns that James Acaster had become 'visibly distressed' during an intense scene at the castle.
