Richard E. Grant's Traitor blunder may not hurt him, says former contestant
Former Traitor Paul Gorton says Richard E. Grant's early reveal in Celebrity Traitors may not harm his game, and predicts chaos, a possible James turret pick and nerves for Ross Kemp.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The new series of Celebrity Traitors returned with a twist and what was described as a big blunder, after Richard E. Grant revealed his Traitor status in the first episode. Traitors are meant to keep their identity secret. Grant has said the reveal was a mistake.
Former contestant Paul Gorton was not convinced. He said he liked what Grant had done and argued that the most obvious behaviour often goes unnoticed by the Faithfuls. In his view, Joe Lycett looked worse for being probing, serious and not getting the joke. Gorton recalled his own experience when people asked if he was a Traitor and he replied that he was. He said he was almost certain that Grant's early reveal would not be his downfall, and that it may not hinder him as much as people think.
Gorton still doubted Grant could go all the way. He said Grant was too excited and maniacal, loved killing too much, and could be consumed by power. Winners generally fly below the radar, he said, though Alan Carr was an exception who should not be copied. He named Harry, Rachel and Stephen as calculated players who stayed under the radar. Grant, by contrast, was more explosions and chaos.
Looking ahead, Gorton predicted James would be chosen to join the Traitors in the turret. He said James is forceful and wants to focus on Grant's comment that he was a Traitor. Gorton added that James might have to soften once he joins the team. He described the turret as pure power and pressure, and said he loved the stress. His favourite moment was the elation of being caught.
On the wider cast, Gorton said Ross Kemp is a bundle of nerves. He said Kemp is convinced the moment the sailor's cap was put on him meant he had been murdered, and that he is overprepared, paranoid and not coping on the first day. Gorton picked Maya Jama as the big dog of the show, but said he wants the Traitors to win.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Paul Gorton said the Faithfuls frequently overlook clear Traitor behaviour. | |
| Richard E. Grant described his Traitor reveal as an error. | |
| The opening episode of the new Celebrity Traitors series featured an unexpected twist and a notable mistake. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The segment was a light entertainment item at the end of the bulletin, with a spoiler warning before the clip. It focused on former Traitor Paul Gorton's assessment of Richard E. Grant's first-episode blunder, including whether it was deliberate, how long Grant might last, and who might join him in the turret. It also covered Ross Kemp's nerves and Gorton's pick for the overall winner.
- “the popular series came back with a bang last night It included a twist and arguably quite a big blunder”
- “I quite like what he's done and like I think in the traitors the most Obvious thing that makes you look like a traitor is often the thing the faithfuls don't pick up on”
- “I don't think he'll go all the way because of how maniacally is”
Broadcast Timeline
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