Celebrity Traitors' Richard E Grant shuts down "categorically false" rumour about his time on show

Richard E Grant has shut down "categorically false" claims around his time on The Celebrity Traitors. The actor's famously short stint on the current season of the BBC show saw him reveal himself as a Traitor on day one.

Sure enough, he was the first to be voted out of the castle, though some theories have circulated claiming that the star purposefully tried to exit early to reduce filming commitments while still getting his fee, while The Sun reports that crew members were convinced he staged the Traitor reveal.

However, the site also reports that the BBC said it was an innocent mistake, while Richard insisted on the show that he had made the "biggest mistake" of his life by telling everyone his allegiance.

Related: Best streaming services

Responding to the latest claims, Richard wrote on his Instagram Stories: "I usually wouldn’t comment on things like this, but I’ve been made aware some press outlets are suggesting I 'staged' my Traitors reveal to get out of filming.

"This is categorically false. I’m an avid fan of the show and have been since it first aired. Being picked as a Traitor when I was convinced I’d be a Faithful was an absolute dream and a sheer shock to the system."

Grant's early exit made show history, becoming the first Traitor to be caught at the first roundtable, and the star has since revealed to Digital Spy that he hasn't been catching up with the show's latest events.

Speaking about the Faithful potentially winning the season, he shared at a live sculpting event for charity Longfield Hospice: "I’m in a play every night, so I haven’t seen it."

Elsewhere, the show's latest cliffhanger has seen the remaining Traitors tasked with killing in plain sight by getting one of the Faithfuls to yawn, though previous winning Traitors Stephen Libby and Rachel Duffy reckon the villainous team could be in trouble with who is up for murder.

" I really hope it's Ross because if Jerry yawns, the two guys are in trouble the next morning," Rachel told Radio Times. "I think Ross, you know, he's paranoid as it is and he thinks everything's sus. So yeah, if Jerry goes, he'll know exactly who it was."

Stephen the shared: "If Ross hasn't been murdered, then the Traitors are in a really sticky situation."

The Celebrity Traitors is available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton's life, is here. Buy Dolly in newsagents or online.

Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International.  Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.