Richard E Grant’s slip-up and Claudia Winkleman’s coffin entrance steal the launch of Celebrity Traitors
E Grant nearly derailed the first night of Celebrity Traitors after being chosen as one of Claudia Winkleman’s three traitors in the show’s opening
Richard E Grant nearly derailed the first night of Celebrity Traitors after being chosen as one of Claudia Winkleman’s three traitors in the show’s opening episode. The actor then appeared to blurt out the point of the game almost straight away — a moment that quickly became the episode’s biggest talking point.
The launch episode, watched live by almost nine million people, put 21 celebrities under pressure from the start. But it was Winkleman’s arrival that set the tone before anyone had even taken a seat.
A gothic entrance for the host
Winkleman was carried into a church in a closed coffin, borne by druids, in a theatrical entrance that looked straight out of a dark fantasy. As she emerged, she greeted the stunned cast with a line that landed instantly: “That was quite the nap.”
Jerry Hall was quick to react. The model and actress gasped “Claudiapatra!”, spotting similarities between Winkleman and Cleopatra in both the grandeur and the hairstyle. The host later said at the show’s press launch that she loved her “iconic entrance”, though she had first imagined hiding in the castle’s suit of armour.
“It’s like a sort of GCSE history fantasy - it was either that or the grandfather clock,” she said.
Oddly brilliant. And very on-brand.
Grant’s moment takes over
The real noise, though, came after Grant and presenter Maya Jama were picked as traitors. Grant then seemed to forget the basic premise of the game and blurted out what he should not have. The episode cut off before the full exchange was widely repeated, but the damage was done: the chatter around the launch shifted fast.
The BBC did not give that moment the only spotlight. It had already packed the opening with spectacle, nerves and a roomful of famous faces trying to work out who was playing what game.
The result was a premiere that felt chaotic from the start. Coffins. Druids. A startled cast. And one traitor who may have talked too much, too soon.
By the end of the hour, the show had its first viral line, its first theatrical entrance and its first major slip-up — all before the series had really settled in. Live audience: almost nine million.
Source: bbc.co.uk
