Celia Imrie says she warned Richard E. Grant to “keep his brain working” ahead of ‘Traitors’ gaffe

The Celebrity Traitors’ Celia Imrie warned Richard E. Grant about how difficult it was to constantly stay alert during filming of the hit BBC show.

• READ MORE: Why ‘The Traitors’ is easier if you play video games

Imrie starred in the first season of The Celebrity Traitors and quickly became a fan-favourite. She made it through a majority of the ten-episode series as a ‘faithful’ before being murdered by ‘traitor’ Alan Carr in episode eight.

In a new interview with The Times she revealed that season two contestant Richard E. Grant reached out for her advice about how to play the game. “[He] rang me up and asked what it was like. I said I didn’t quite know what I was letting myself in for,” Imrie said. “But it was good fun, although it’s very strict and there is an element of cruelty about the game.”

She went on to say that “it’s hard always being on and keeping [your] brain working.”

WATCH

Grant proved her right after he immediately revealed that he’d been picked as a traitor during the chaotic first episode of The Celebrity Traitors’ second season, which premiered last week.

TV moment of the year already pic.twitter.com/nwD53M9j9B

— Billy (@_billyreid) October 1, 2026

Later in the episode, it was revealed that some celebrities were convinced Grant was double-bluffing and couldn’t possibly be a traitor, while others were sure of his guilt. Former University Challenge host Amol Rajan was the first contestant to be murdered by Grant and fellow traitor Maya Jama. In a newsletter, he said that he felt like he’d “let [his family] down” by being the first to leave The Celebrity Traitors.

Rajan went on to say that he’s since met up with Grant, where he asked why they picked him for murder. “To protect myself, and that’s a compliment,” explained Grant, with Rajan trying to convince other faithful of Grant’s role as a traitor. “If you really wanted protection, you should have recruited me,” replied Rajan.

“Ah yes, that makes sense but I think I just went mad,” added Grant.

Episode two ended on a cliffhanger, with Grant being accused at the roundtable and at risk of banishment from the game. The Celebrity Traitors fans will find out tomorrow (Thursday October 8) if he survived the vote.