Viewers in Stroud, Nailsworth and the surrounding district may recognise one of the contestants in the second series of The Celebrity Traitors. Avening-based actor Richard E. Grant is joining the BBC programme’s cast for its return on Thursday 1 October.
The opening episode is an extended 75-minute programme and begins at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Claudia Winkleman is returning to host the game, which will be broadcast twice a week, on Thursday and Friday evenings.
Richard E. Grant among the contestants
Grant will take his place around the round table alongside a line-up drawn from television, film, radio and YouTube. The contestants include actor Michael Sheen, model and actress Jerry Hall, journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, actor Bella Ramsey, singer-songwriter Leigh-Anne Pinnock, broadcaster and entrepreneur Maya Jama and content creator King Kenny.
The full announced cast also includes comedian and podcaster James Acaster; singer-songwriter James Blunt; comedian Joanne McNally; comedian Joe Lycett; actor Julie Hesmondhalgh; actor and author Miranda Hart; actor Myha’la; broadcaster and mathematician Professor Hannah Fry; comedian Rob Beckett; comedian Romesh Ranganathan; actor and presenter Ross Kemp; and musician and actor Sebastian Croft.
The programme describes a contest in which the celebrities must work out who among them is a Faithful and who is a Traitor. Alongside the suspicion and competing loyalties, the contestants will be playing for charity.
Tasks and charity prize
The prize is set at £100,000, although the report says the final amount will depend on how well the celebrities perform in the tasks. The challenges are expected to form a central part of the series, with the contestants’ progress affecting how much is ultimately raised.
Executive producer Sarah Fay said the production team wanted to keep developing the programme’s format and elaborate tasks. Discussing the approach at the show’s press launch, she said they “always want to push the envelope”. She also said the team was working to evolve existing ideas, bring them “into a new life” and introduce different cultural references.
A familiar face in the district
Grant is described as a familiar presence around the district. He is often spotted at Stroud Farmers’ Market and at eateries in Nailsworth, where he has become a recognisable local figure.
When to watch: Series two of The Celebrity Traitors begins at 8pm on Thursday 1 October on BBC One and iPlayer. Further episodes are scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings.
