Amol Rajan: Celebrity Traitors star Richard E Grant is the ‘lord of chaos’

Richard E Grant was the first celebrity contestant to be banished from Celebrity Traitors, a new BBC One series hosted by Claudia Winkleman. The game involves 21 celebrity contestants divided into "faithfuls" and "traitors," with the traitors trying to eliminate faithfuls in the middle of the night. Grant's fate was sealed after he accidentally revealed his status as a traitor early in the game, leading many fellow contestants to suspect him intensely. During an episode aired on Thursday, journalist Amol Rajan was among those who gave Grant a hard time and ended up being eliminated by other traitors.

Grant later reflected on the game, saying that if he could redo it, he would have given less of a hard time to "the lord of chaos," referring to himself. The actor admitted his strategy was not premeditated but rather an impulsive decision during his 69th birthday celebration. Despite efforts from allies Maya Jama and James Acaster, Grant ultimately suffered betrayal at the hands of his teammates when they voted for his banishment in a landslide vote during the round table meeting.

The show's latest episodes continue to air on BBC One, with viewers speculating about the motives behind each player's actions and the unfolding drama within the castle walls. Grant revealed in an interview that he was more shocked by Acaster’s betrayal than Jama's decision to get him out, reflecting on the emotional rollercoaster of the game. The banishment of Grant marked a significant moment for both the show and its audience, highlighting the unpredictable nature of strategic gameplay within the series.