The Celebrity Traitors series 2 Murdered and Banished contestants have their say as they leave the castle

Amol Rajan was the first Faithful murdered by the Traitors.

How has your time been on The Celebrity Traitors?

I think it's much bigger than I expected. It's just an absolutely unforgettable ride of a lifetime. And honestly, there's kind of an unhappy contrast right now, because I'm sort of grieving what might have been. In time I know that I'll come to look on this as honestly one of the greatest privileges of my life. In fact, I already do. What an amazing thing to do, and it was bigger, it was bolder, it was braver, it was brighter than it looks on TV. And to have been sort of in it when it's a show and a game I love so much is just a blessing, really.

To go back to the start, what did you make of your fellow players?

When the names were announced, there were a couple of names I knew less of. I thought I knew less about King Kenny, for instance, but then I realised that actually I've seen thousands of his videos because I spend a lot of time on YouTube and I'm really into boxing. In fact, I kind of felt with every single one of them, that whilst I may be aware of them, I really didn't know them at all, so I was really able to approach getting to know them in the moment. If you only know the surface level about someone, then you can make a bunch of assumptions that come with that.

It just happens to be the case that I'm the only journalist here, and journalists are meant to be people who ask all the good questions. I was a little self-conscious about whether I should try and play that up to my advantage or whether that might arouse suspicion. How you negotiate your reputation is one of the interesting challenges in the celebrity version of the show. In terms of the cast overall, I thought it was a wonderful, really clever mix of people.

How did it feel being sat there for the Traitors pick?

Even if you're someone who works in TV and is on TV, there is still something amazing about actually being in the place that you see on TV! You see it so many times, and the kind of theatrical energy and character of that Round Table itself. I know it's such an overused word, but it is iconic. To actually be there, taking in that this is a real place, and I'm actually here – well, it's spine tingling. Then the TV thoughts are put aside and very quickly it's game time.

Did you enjoy the Mission?

What an experience! When else are you going to do that? If my 21-year-old self was told that I was going to be stood in a wetsuit, with new walking boots, on a beach in front of a burning shipwreck, next to Jerry Hall, telling me she was about to wield a crowbar and that she was an expert in it, I’d have said your life has turned out pretty damn well! I loved it, unconditionally, like absolutely a 100% fantastic experience, thrilling, and I just wish I could do it again and lots of times.

Let’s talk about your face to face murder and the buildup in the chapel….

Last year I went to a pilgrimage in India for a BBC One documentary, travelling to the River Ganges. It’s called the Kumbh Mela, and it's just once every 12 years. It's the biggest religious gathering in the world, and it's about the alignment of Jupiter, the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun. Millions of people attend and there is chanting, smoke, rituals, people dressed in special garments, and it felt very heightened. I haven't felt that same intensity until last night in the chapel. Last night in the chapel, every sensation was turned up to the absolute max.

I'd been on this massive roller coaster of thinking that I was out, then thinking I was reprieved, then thinking, oh wait a second, this could get complicated. Walking into that beautiful chapel I saw one of the greatest comedians of his generation, in James Acaster, a legend, wonderful human being who has become my mate, and I'm thinking, what are you doing here, mate? Are you a Traitor? It suddenly dawned on me that there were a couple of open coffins, and he said, "I'm not a Traitor. And there are two coffins up there,” and I thought, okay, here we go.

Did you have any idea who the Traitors were?

No, I can’t say I did. Not with Maya anyway. I mean, it all makes sense in hindsight. And Richard straight up told us! I think the Faithful have got a real challenge now with Acaster in the mix. I think he is going to be brilliant.

If you could have addressed the others still in the game before leaving or left them with any advice, what would you have said?

I would have said, at this early stage of the game, we have to acknowledge it's a game of information, and the longer the game goes on, the more information you have. Right now, we don't have much information. We can all come up with our great grand theories of everything, but no one really knows. The one thing we do know is that Richard is either a Traitor, as he said, or a bad Faithful!

Richard E. Grant was the first Traitor banished at the Round Table.

You got your wish when you were selected as a Traitor. What was going through your mind when you felt that tap on your shoulder?

I was absolutely exhilarated, because it was only on the fourth round of Claudia walking around that I was finally rewarded. I'd heard such panic breathing from Miranda Hart on my right-hand side, coughing from Jerry Hall on my left. Between these two respiratory ladies, I nearly gave up hope.

It would have been an excellent cover for you. Nobody would have heard you gasping with joy. And then you discovered Maya was your colleague. How did you find that partnership?

I had no idea at all because I had no interaction with Maya other than an initial meeting at the beginning. She wasn't even on my radar as a possible fellow Traitor. But because I had botched the role so staggeringly by saying "I am a Traitor," and then had people believe me, I had to hand over all power to Maya, and I think she enjoyed that.

What was the thinking behind telling people? Was it meant to be a big double bluff?

Joe asked me. He said, "Are you a Traitor?” I suppose what I should have done in retrospect is go round everybody and say, "Are you a Traitor? Yeah. I am a Traitor, I am Spartacus. I am a Traitor” to try and make light of it, but that may have dug my grave even deeper. 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?!’

It certainly is a different strategy…

The strategy of no strategy is the strategy, clearly. 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.

Straight to business with your first murder and recruiting a third Traitor all at once. What a dramatic first act! Why Amol and James?

Amol had been asking me questions, and was absolutely vehement that I was definitely a Traitor. I knew that I was absolutely in his sights, and then James Acaster, I was told, was the most trustworthy player. So, if somebody was going to be able to calm the waters, deflect and defend my having said this stupid thing, he would be the one. In retrospect, I made a second calamitously ill-judged decision by choosing him because he didn't defend me at all. All he was thinking about was I’m now a Traitor and I must get rid of Richard as quickly as possible, which he did. Exactly what I would have done if I'd had the smarts that he does!

Did you expect the Round Table to go that way?

Yes, I did because when we were in the bar before going into the Round Table, Myha’la had made eye contact with me directly, but few others did. Miranda Hart was very friendly, and I thought, "Ah, she's doing this to try and ameliorate the fact that she's about to stab me” which is exactly what happened. I just felt it in the room before we headed into that Round Table.

It's one thing getting the votes from the Faithful, but what about James and Maya? Did that surprise you?

It didn't surprise me because they have to save themselves, and at the Round Table, James never uttered a word, other than when he was asked, "Who have you chosen and why?” He never said a word before, so he clearly listened to everything, and it was a tsunami of my name round the table. So, to have gone against that like Joanne did is risking your neck.

How did it then feel announcing to the room that you were a Traitor, and properly this time?!

I said, "it's been my dream manifested to be chosen as a Traitor. And sometimes in life, your dreams come true, and sometimes they don't.” And my face dropped, and all the people in front of me looked as if they had made the wrong decision. Oh my God, he is Faithful after all! And then I said, “I am an unfaithful Traitor,” to an instant unanimous standing ovation. It was a double-edged sword of the joy of being released and the humiliation of them being so glee-filled that they got one so early in the game. I gave it to them on a platter.

Do you want to see the Traitors go on and win?

I truly hope and believe that Maya and James Acaster are going to win.

What advice would you give to firstly the Traitors to go all the way, and secondly the Faithful? What should they be looking for?

They should take care not to engage with any 69-year-old actors!

And finally, if you could sum up the experience in three words, what would they be?

I’d say it’s been unforgettable, mischievous and lovely!

Myha’la was a Faithful and the second player banished at the Round Table.

What was the experience like for you?

It was so surprising because I went into this having seen people in past series get emotional on the show, and I kind of thought this is ridiculous, just lock into the game; it shouldn't be a problem. I had no problem cutting myself off from the outside world, I just wanted to be in the game and give it my all. But I think because I was so Traitor-minded, I had done all this planning and poring over in my mind for weeks on end about how I'd be as a Traitor that when I got chosen as a Faithful I felt so confused and lost. I had no plan and I’m a planner, that's how I function in this life. And so, the excitement that the game had begun, the fear of being a Faithful with no plan, and also then the complete and absolute loss of any sense of control. As a Faithful, you are completely a pawn, especially so early in the game. You can't really strategize that well because you can't trust anyone at all.

How did you go about adapting?

It took me one night, but by the second day, I had come to the conclusion that my strategy as a Faithful was that I just had to be 100% honest, 100% of the time. You can't be caught in a lie if you're never lying.

Who did you trust and get close to?

Well, 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. Truly, I had a moment with everyone, which was so lovely. I felt quite close to Romesh. I felt close to Bella at points, although I knew right away that they were suspicious of me. That one was really heartbreaking. I also hit it off pretty quickly with Leigh-Anne and Maya, we just had fun together. Really, outside of the game, I’ve made some great new friendships. I can't wait to have a pen pal in Richard. I think Bella and I will stay connected as well. We're HBO siblings!

How did you find the missions?

Oh, they were so fun! I was shocked in the first mission at how difficult it was because whenever I watch the show I’m thinking, oh, these people aren't participating but in practice, I was like, oh hell no! I'm sorry, but a huge solid wood crate filled with water is like the heaviest thing. But then you get on in there with James Blunt, who has the strength of 1000 military men, and you fully commit to the job. Ross thrives in the missions too. I think they’re his happy place. I found that my role was often observing from a little bit of a distance because when there's so much energy up close, sometimes you can miss things. In yesterday's mission I did get a shield, that was short lived…if only, if only, if only….

What's been your proudest achievement?

I think I really defended myself well in that final Round Table. You always ruminate and think, "Oh, why didn't I say this? Why didn't I say that?” But generally, I thought I had something. I mean, I had the truth, but I also had a strong counter to every argument said against me and I did it with grace, I think.

Do you think you've learned anything about yourself?

I’m built to be a Traitor. If they want me back as a Traitor, I'm waiting. Yeah, I'd be back, but there are conditions! I'm not built to be a Faithful because I’m all about planning and having control and you just can't plan for the unknown. I'm annoyed that Richard couldn't stay in because I feel like he could have brought me to the turret and I would have let him win. I would have gladly led him to glory! There’s an alternate universe in which he and I get to the final.

But for the rest of this game, where you have been a Faithful, do you leave your heart with them and hope they get the win?

No! I want there to be carnage. Okay, I think I couldn't ever be a properly good Faithful because I always want to be a Traitor. I love the chaos. That's why we watch the game. It's fun to watch. It’s about the event, it’s just a game and we want to see wild twists that keep us glued to the fun. So, I hope for more chaos!

Bella Ramsey was the second Faithful murdered by the Traitors.

Was playing the Traitors everything you imagined it to be?

It was a lot of fun. It was very different than I thought it would be. I sort of forgot that it was also a show. In terms of the actual gameplay, really it was so exciting, and the missions were so exciting, and getting to know everyone was really wonderful.

You wanted to be a Traitor, didn’t you?

I actually didn't as it turned out. I changed my mind after the conversation with Claudia and really wanted to be a Faithful. At the Round Table Traitors pick, I was hoping not to get tapped because that afternoon I'd really thought about how exciting it would be to get to play the game and figure out who the Traitors were. I love the game so much, and the idea of being able to properly play it, to be a detective and hunt down the Traitors is actually really thrilling.

You clearly were a real asset to the Faithful because the Traitors found you threatening enough to murder! It’s a kind of compliment. How does it feel to be leaving at this stage?

I wish I got a few more days because I was going to go in today with a new resolve of trying to rein in some of my excitement and be more open-minded. I was going in with a fresh slate, and I was so excited to start again so I wish that I got a little bit more time to do that. Also, I think the Traitors killed me off because they knew that I was maybe going to start doing that and get to the bottom of things. All things considered, I feel satisfied and ready to go.

And are you cheering on the Faithful going forward?

I am forever Faithful. I was also questioning if I got recruited as a Traitor, what I would do? It would be a tough decision because I loved being a Faithful so much and I loved the camaraderie with the other people who I believed were Faithful, and getting to figure it out together was really fun.

Who did you feel closest to?

I felt really close with Bash, Miranda and James A but everyone, honestly. I feel like I had a different relationship with everybody. Romesh I really enjoy, and Ross, and I adore Julie. I could literally list every single name.

How have you found the missions?

I loved the missions. It was a nice break from the castle, and a break from thinking and figuring out. It was just fun because everybody wants to win the money for the charities, there was no Traitor/Faithful split in the missions. Everyone just works together,

Do you have a standout moment that you're particularly proud of?

I'm really proud of the first Round Table. I'm proud of how I responded when accused because I was genuinely Faithful and didn't have anything to be guilty about. I really liked being able to speak honestly about why I am a Faithful and feel like I dealt with that situation well. I wasn't sure if I'd react in a way that would make me more suspicious, but I wasn't even thinking about it. I was just honest, "well, here's the truth!” It was really nice to just be able to speak the truth and with conviction.

Would you leave your fellow Faithful any words of advice going forward? How are they going to catch these Traitors?

I want them to be really perceptive. I just want them to observe and I want them to notice behaviour changes and pay attention to them. I think we need a combination of that and logic. I would love to see the Faithful win. No particular player but I’m rooting for a Faithful win.

Julie Hesmondhalgh was a Faithful and the third player banished at the Round Table.

What was the experience like for you?

It's been the experience of a lifetime, so joyful. I’ve laughed till I’ve cried, most hours of the day. I’ll really miss being part of it. When the first Celebrity series came out, everyone knew what a huge fan of the show I am, so I got so many messages saying, ‘You've got to be in it, you've got to be in it’. I genuinely said to people, I think we'll be a few series in before they get to my level. Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Jonathan Ross, Paloma Faith - and then I’ll be in season 11!

Was it everything that you'd imagined it would be?

I have to say it's harder than I thought. I know how intense these experiences can be, and I know that in the business, especially when you're doing a play or a TV series, you make accelerated friendships. There’s no small talk, you're straight in with the big stuff. You bond with people and connect with people very quickly. So, when you get thrown under the bus…! I was ready for it, but it was a bit hard. The fact that I thought that in any universe I could be a Traitor is ridiculous- I knew I didn't have it in me. If Claudia had picked me, I would have been terrible, because they'd say, right, who shall we murder? And I would have been like, I can't let somebody like Ross with his big puppy eyes get murdered tonight, or Sharon, absolutely not!

How does it feel to be leaving now?

I felt like mine was a chapter that began very clearly and ended very clearly, a strong narrative arc- and that satisfies the actor in me! I didn’t want to just pootle along, I'd rather go with a bang. And honestly, I said this at the Round Table, and I really meant it- I did really enjoy the attention! All those people that I’d admired for such a long time talking about me! The star struck Julie of episode 1 loved that! It was extremely nice to feel like not-such-a-minor character at that moment!

What did it feel like to get that Traitor out on the first Round Table?

It was the best feeling; I cannot begin to tell you how incredible that feeling is. Right up there with marriage and childbirth haha! And then for Claudia to come in and say that that has never happened in any series of the Traitors ever! But of course it created this atmosphere of such cockiness and such blood thirstiness, it was a bit of a poisoned chalice ultimately.

You were voted most trustworthy player right at the beginning, do you think that was a blessing or curse?

It was possibly the most amazing moment of my life, haha, because I didn't expect it at all. I did in the back of my mind think, oh, this is quite front and centre- when everyone had advised me to keep a low profile for the first few days! There I am in my bright red dress, greeting everyone like some starstruck fan, and I am being very, very central in this first moment of the show where we meet for the first time and so I did worry that it might work against me. I thought, oh, they'll think I'm too Faithful, and I'll be so easily murdered - it immediately ruins your plan of keeping in the background, doesn't it?

At the Round Table you said you were the most deserved banishment. Why did you feel like that?

I lost any ability to defend myself! I was so sketchy throughout the whole thing, and I'd gone in hard on Richard, I'd gone in hard on Myha’la. You know, one triumph, one disaster, absolutely fine, but I thought I'm saying too much. Everybody gave me the advice before I came in, saying keep a low profile. Just try and survive, but don't be too much. And of course, on the first day I was voted most trustworthy, and then at the two Round Tables I had a lot to say. So I was planning to just sit back, little knowing that I was chief suspect.

There was a lot of discussion about Hannah at the beginning, and Hannah looked really vulnerable, and then suddenly it turned to me, and Hannah was doing a brilliant job of defending herself, and I was absolutely rubbish! At one point my mouth dried up to absolutely nothing. I had no spit left, and I had to take a big glass of water and my hand was shaking a bit which is the worst thing you can do and I knew I looked really guilty. It was text book guilt!

Do you think that tactically people are approaching the Round Tables in the right way?

No, we're absolutely rubbish. We're half evidence based and we're half vibes. Joanne is leading the vibes charge with crazy theories.

What made you decide not to share the information you had from Bella on who they were suspicious of?

Because I've been so heart on sleeve about my other suspicions, and me and Bella have been in cahoots a little bit, and we very much led the charge against Myha’la, and we also had suspicions about Joe. It was very difficult as I'm very close to Joe. I'd given Joe the shield in the church. We’d been buried alive together. And I did have a slight thinking that Joe would be the most amazing Traitor. So Joe- his comedy is completely about these very long-play hoaxes that he enacts on huge groups of people, he's absolutely born to be a Traitor. I didn’t want to believe that he was, but I thought that part of his strategy would probably be to keep me close to the end and then drop me at the last minute.

I didn't want Joe to know that I had any suspicions of him. Out of all the comics, I would have chosen Joe as a Traitor, plus Bella was absolutely convinced. And Bella has a beautiful mind. I know that Bella got it wrong with Myha’la, as did I, but there was nobody in that game who was more all over everything than Bella, so I felt very proud to be their little accomplice. So Bella only shared it with myself and Bash, and I wasn't willing to share it too early in the day and for it to get back to Joe- and then Bash did this brilliant thing at the Round Table where he just very articulately said, “This is Bella's theory. Don't shoot the messenger. Bella thinks it's Joe and Hannah” and immediately it just made me look really sketchy again!

Let's talk about the Missions. Did you have a favourite?

The spooky Mission, the cabin Mission, was my favourite. All of them were extraordinary in the design and the beauty and the scale of them. When we got to the cabin, it was just really nice to be spooked and scared rather than physically wrung out! The smell was really, really bad though- it really, genuinely smelt like shit, to the point where people were retching and Miranda was actually sick!

What's been your proudest achievement?

I think being voted as most trustworthy before anyone knew me, so only based on vibes, was a truly lovely thing. It was quite humbling to know that it was just a public persona perception thing and to see how very quickly it was ripped from my hands- and everyone was like, you're not what you seem at all! Haha!

Do you think you've learned anything about yourself?

I’ve learned so much about myself. I've learned what an open book I am. I have learned that I'm not capable of gameplay. I can only play in the way I play every single game at Christmas, which is in a totally terrifyingly gung-ho way that is not always successful! Also, the limits of what I can do. I think I'll watch it and think, why didn't you fight harder for yourself?! But it was just making me laugh so much about how much they had on me and how I couldn’t defend myself.

What would your advice be for the Faithfuls that are in there now, and how to catch the Traitors?

I think they're going to get Hannah. I don't think any of the comics are looking at James A. So that's obviously a mistake. Maybe at some point they'll be like, “hang on a minute- Why are we not putting him under the microscope? Why have we all just decided that he's the detective and he wants to solve this?” He’s done some amazing mind games on everyone. So, I would say, look in unexpected places and look closer to you than you think, because I don't think Joanne will ever think it's Maya. They're very close in the castle, and often it's the people right next to you you’ve got to worry about.

Who were you closest to in there?

God I really liked everyone, but probably Sharon, Bash, Leigh Anne – the young ones. I was Bella’s little accomplice, knocking around together in the castle, and that's what Traitors don't do. In my head I'm the same age as Bella and Bash, I just think I'm a young person, and it’s really quite shocking to me that I'm actually very much not!

Ross was also the big, unexpected love for me in this series. He’s just wonderful. I've never seen anyone as terrified of being pretend murdered in my life, who at the same time talks constantly about all the things he's seen and done in his life, and they are horrific. Romesh and Ross were my first friends in there.

Any message for your fellow Faithfuls and Traitors?

I would say, please don't feel bad, because I really did have a ball, and I loved the attention, and I knew it was coming from the right place. And genuinely, if I could have, I would have written my name on that slate because I was sketch as hell in that Round Table. And so, I don't blame anybody, even my closest buddies in there, for turning on me because they had to.

Who do you think will win?

It's hard because that is a pretty formidable group of Traitors, but I do have faith in the Faithfuls that they can do it, so I will be rooting for the Faithfuls every step of the way.

What three words might you use to sum up your experience?

In this order- challenging, bonkers, delightful.