season two kicked off last night (Thursday October 1) and Richard E. Grant has already been branded a “legend” after a chaotic first episode.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the reality series brings 21 celebrities to a castle in the Scottish highlands where they can win up to £100,000 for their chosen charities. A majority of the players are “faithful” who must work together to increase the prize fund, while a handful of secret “traitors” murder them nightly, and must avoid being voted out at the public “roundtable” events.
The first episode of season two saw TV presenter Maya Jama and acting royalty Richard E. Grant picked as traitors after telling Winkleman how much they wanted to take on that deceptive role.
The same evening, comedian Joe Lycett playfully asked Grant if he was a traitor or a faithful and, in a first for the series, Grant admitted he was a traitor. “You’re what?” replied a surprised Lycett, with Grant once again confirming he was a traitor. “What’s the point in being in the game if you’re not one?” Fellow celebrities James Blunt, Ross Kemp and Rob Beckett were among those who witnessed the exchange.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” said Lycett with other celebrities explaining to Grant how the game worked. “I think you’ve done something that’s never been done in the game,” Lycett continued. “It’s a bold strategy.” Later in the show, it was revealed that some celebrities were convinced Grant was double-bluffing and couldn’t possibly be a traitor, while others were convinced of his guilt.
TV moment of the year already pic.twitter.com/nwD53M9j9B
“TV moment of the year already,” wrote one X user alongside a clip of the exchange. “Richard E. Grant might be my favourite traitor of all time,” said another. “We all thought Alan Carr was the best worst traitor ever and here we are on day one, Richard E. Grant has literally told everyone he is a traitor. This show never fails to outdo itself,” added a third. “Richard E Grant, the legend that you are,” said another X user.
Elsewhere in the first episode of season two, Ross Kemp was convinced other players were trying to murder him in plain sight after Bella Ramsey put a pirate hat on his head, and Leigh-Anne stroked his arm.
The episode ended with the traitors deciding if they wanted to recruit or murder comedian James Acaster and journalist Amol Rajan. Episode two airs tonight (Friday October 2) at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer with episode three and four following next week.