He did the unthinkable by announcing to the group he was a Traitor just hours into the show.
And Celebrity Traitors viewers watched Richard E Grant’s inevitable downfall during Thursday night’s episode as the group made history at the first roundtable.
Following a landslide vote, in which 69-year-old Grant received 16 out of a possible 20 votes, he was banished.
‘I have always wanted to be a Traitor, as you know. Sometimes in life your dreams do come true, and sometimes they don’t,’ Grant said to the group, before revealing: ‘I am an unfaithful Traitor!’
Speaking to the camera, the actor added: ‘I’ve been annihilated. I have managed to checkmate myself, which, as far as I’m aware, has never been done! My daughter is going to be like, “Oh, Dad,” but I’ve just had a blast.’
Addressing his hilarious slip-up, which is likely to be one of the most memorable moments of the series, Grant added in his exit interview: ‘It was a completely catastrophically idiotic thing to do!
‘I can only imagine the faces of the producers looking at each other and mouthing, “he said WHAT?!”
Celebrity Traitors viewers watched Richard E Grant’s inevitable downfall during Thursday night’s episode as the group made history at the first roundtable
Following a landslide vote, in which 69-year-old Grant received 16 out of a possible 20 votes, he was banished
‘I’d watched every iteration that I possibly could have of this game, and I was manifesting, willing myself to get invited to be a Traitor, so receiving that… well, I lost all sense of self-control.’
Back in Ardross Castle, host Claudia Winkleman announced to the euphoric group of celebrities: ‘Players, this has never happened before. Your first try and you’ve got one!’
EastEnders legend Ross Kemp went mad after catching a Traitor, yelling: ‘Get in there!’
Fans were left heartbroken after Richard was banished but joked he was the ‘worst Traitor in history’ after making his killer mistake in the first episode.
Fans wrote on X: ‘Gutting that we have lost Richard E Grant so early’, ‘I can’t believe already Richard E Grant is gone’,
‘Wdym we won’t have Richard E Grant as our traitor for the next few weeks my man didn’t even get to murder properly #TheCelebrityTraitors’,
‘The Man. The Myth. The Moment. Richard E .Grant, take a bow’, ‘Traitors will suck now without Richard E .Grant’,
‘I genuinely feel so bad for richard e grant i think he could’ve gone far’, ‘getting emotional about Richard e grant being voted off even though he said outright he was a traitor like’.
‘I have always wanted to be a Traitor, as you know. Sometimes in life your dreams do come true, and sometimes they don’t,’ Grant said to the group, before revealing: ‘I am an unfaithful Traitor!’
Ross Kemp looked incredibly passionate after he voted a Traitor out
Back in Ardross Castle, host Claudia Winkleman announced to the euphoric group of celebrities: ‘Players, this has never happened before. Your first try and you’ve got one!’
Fans were left heartbroken after Richard was banished but joked he was the ‘worst Traitor in history’ after making his killer mistake in the first episode
Following Grant’s dramatic exit, a new Traitor arrived in the turret as duo Maya Jama and James Acaster made the decision to recruit Professor Hannah Fry (pictured)
Elsewhere, Faithful Myha’la was the second player to be banished
Following Grant’s dramatic exit, a new Traitor arrived in the turret as duo Maya Jama and James Acaster made the decision to recruit Professor Hannah Fry.
It caused both suspicion and confusion at breakfast, as either Professor Fry or Jerry Hall should have been murdered, making the group aware a recruitment had taken place.
In amongst the chaos, the group took part in their third mission, where they had to physically push a heavy battering ram to four different crypts and destroy the door. Inside, they found money and sought-after shields.
They bagged £6,000 for the prize fund, and only Ms Jame walked away with a shield.
Elsewhere, Faithful Myha’la was the second player to be banished.
Suspicions were raised due to the Industry actress previously backing Traitor Grant but then switching up on him at the last second by voting for him, as well as giving him a suspicious wink before he left.
She fought back tears during the second tense roundtable, as she attempted to defend her name, but it wasn’t enough.
‘I have loved getting to know you all; thank you for loving me,’ she said to her fellow celebrities.’
‘I will say to the Faithfuls I don’t think the Traitors are as dumb or as silly or as confused as you think they are. I think they are a lot smarter. But I have been a Faithful.’
She added in her exit interview: ‘I immediately got close to Richard, just because I feel like we’re twin flames. Really, I shouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, which is ultimately, I think, my demise.’
The episode came to a close with one of its famous murder cliffhangers – where the Traitors consider three contestants as their next victim.
It was James Blunt, Bella Ramsay and Sebastian Croft on the chopping block, and one will leave tomorrow night.
But it wasn’t all bad news, as BBC viewers were treated to a few seconds of Blunt stripping off for the camera.
In the first iconic shower scene of the series, the You’re Beautiful singer is seen with a shower cap on and scrubbing himself in the castle’s gothic-style bathroom.
The Celebrity Traitors line-up 2026
Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall, 70, rose to fame in the Seventies and became one of the era’s most recognisable fashion icons
Richard E Grant
Richard E Grant, 69, is celebrated for his roles in everything from the cult classic Withnail & I to modern flicks such as Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
James Blunt
James Blunt, 52, shot to global fame with his debut album and the hit single You’re Beautiful
Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp, 62, who recently returned to EastEnders to reprise his role as hardman Grant Mitchell, is said to want to challenge himself
Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen, 57, is celebrated for his incredible performances across stage and screen, particularly his work in Good Omens and The Queen
Rob Beckett
Best friend of fellow Traitors star Ranganathan, comedian Rob Beckett, 40, is known for his high energy and booming laugh
Sharon Rooney
Sharon Rooney, 37, is best known for her breakout role as Rae Earl in the acclaimed series My Mad Fat Diary
Joanne McNally
Joanne McNally, 43, is known for her brutally honest humour and hilarious takes on dating, chaos and modern life
Amol Rajan
Journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, 43, has carved out a successful career across major UK media, including radio and television
King Kenny
King Kenny, 29, is a content creator known for his prank videos and street-style social experiments
Sebastian Croft
Sebastian Croft, 24, is best known for his breakout role as Ben Hope in the Netflix series Heartstopper
Maya Jama
Maya Jama, 32, is quickly becoming one of the UK’s most popular stars and famously fronts Love Island
Miranda Hart
Miranda Hart, 53, broke through with her hit sitcom Miranda, which became a resounding success and cemented her as a comedy legend
Romesh Ranganathan
Romesh Ranganathan, 48, has been taking British TV by storm in recent years is known for his deadpan delivery
James Acaster
Comedian James Acaster, 41, is good friends with Ed Gamble, who hosts The Traitors: Uncloaked. The duo present the hit food podcast Off Menu
Bella Ramsey
Bella Ramsey, 22, rose to fame as Lyanna Mormont in Game Of Thrones and gained global acclaim for their leading role in The Last Of Us
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 34, is known as a member of the girl group Little Mix, which found fame on The X Factor in 2011
Joe Lycett
From TV stunts to clever public pranks, Joe Lycett, 38, has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most inventive comics
Hannah Fry
Mathematician and broadcaster Hannah Fry, 42, is known for turning complex data into engaging content for viewers
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh, 56, is best known for her long-running role as Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street – the first transgender character in a British soap opera
Myha’la
Myha’la, 30, is known for her striking portrayal of brutal fintech expert Harper Stern in the HBO drama Industry
