Celebrity Traitors season 2 review: Richard E Grant is a disaster beyond belief

Richard E Grant is already by far the worst player to ever set foot in the castle (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative) The success of Celebrity Traitors was always going to prove somewhat of a poisoned chalice. How do you possibly top Alan Carr being the most blatant Traitor that’s ever lived, and somehow going on to win? How can any show get better without Alan? Yet it might already have happened, thanks to the only person on the planet, let alone a celebrity, who could be an even more shambolic game player than Alan: Richard E Grant, who is already by far the worst player to ever set foot in the castle and the best casting decision imaginable. Naturally, after the rip-roaring success of Celebrity Traitors, which went on to make its cast of household names and genuine bona fide stars even bigger than they already were, celebrities will have been flocking in their droves to play the game that gripped more than 15 million people last year. And it shows: not only does this line-up have the star power of a Bafta afterparty, it’s also packed with character, eccentricity and a bottomless pit of laughs. With 21 contestants, I won’t bore you by going through every one of them, but there are already some unfathomably great characters in the mix, and this could well be the best series of The Traitors yet. This Celebrity Traitors line-up has the star power of a Bafta afterparty (Picture: BBC) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The opening episode is defined by Richard, which is exactly what I wanted from this line-up, but how could anyone possibly predict quite how utterly brilliant and completely useless he would be. Get even more Traitors gossip Want to get all the latest news and predictions for the best and most dramatic show this new year? Sign up to our TV Daily newsletter to get a personalised selection of the hottest takes, latest theories and big behind-the-scenes news every morning. Don't to forget to select 'The Traitors' when you enter your email. Or join our The Traitors WhatsApp channel for live episode coverage, juicy gossip and a place to recover from all the cliffhangers. Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! For the first time, Claudia Winkleman picked just two Traitors to join her in the turret: the Withnail and I star and Love Island host Maya Jama. Prior to Claudia tapping her Traitors on the shoulder, Richard had already gone rogue by telling anyone who would listen how much he wanted to be a Traitor and that he couldn’t wait a moment longer to kill. For someone so desperate to be a Traitor, you’d imagine he’d be much better at it. Instead, in what must be the single most extraordinary moment across any series of The Traitors, he repeatedly declared he was the man they’re hunting down without a single trace of irony or sarcasm, seemingly never grasping the entire premise of the game. Remarkably, his literal confession has only made half the castle more convinced he is a Faithful. For someone so desperate to be a Traitor, you’d imagine he’d be much better at it (Picture: BBC) James Acaster and Amol Rajan are summoned back to the church and told to plead for their lives (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative) It is astounding television that goes far beyond what any producer could possibly dream of. If that is the precedent of what’s to come, I can’t even begin to imagine how sensational this series is going to be. And then the mother of all twists happening so early on: Maya and Richard confronting two Faithfuls face to face for their very first murder. Unsurprisingly, they both agreed to take the heat off Richard and pick the two Faithfuls who believe a Traitor is telling the truth when they say they are a Traitor. Subsequently, James Acaster and Amol Rajan are summoned and told to plead for their lives as one will be murdered and the other recruited. Both made similar cases, but who would make a better Traitor? Surely, anyone who knows anything about Amol will recognise he’d be a great Traitor. Before the game had even begun he’d be on my list for sure, but James? I don’t think I’d ever believe James would have it in him and that’s why he’d make an excellent accomplice. But has Maya accidentally thrown Richard under the bus? Try too hard to take the heat off a Traitor and it can easily point the Faithful in the right direction. Whoever is murdered between the two of them will inevitably point straight back to Richard. I have very little faith he’ll make it as far as Alan, but thankfully we then have the extreme paranoia of Ross Kemp to keep the absurdity going. Has Maya Jama accidentally thrown Richard under the bus? (Picture: BBC) Who is in the Celebrity Traitors season 2 cast? Amol Rajan – Journalist Bella Ramsey – Actor Hannah Fry – Mathematician James Acaster – Comedian James Blunt – Musician Jerry Hall – Model Joanne McNally – Comedian Joe Lycett – Comedian Julie Hesmondhalgh – Actor King Kenny – Social media personality Leigh-Anne Pinnock – Singer Maya Jama – Presenter Michael Sheen – Actor Miranda Hart – Actor Myha’la – Actor Richard E. Grant – Actor Rob Beckett – Comedian Romesh Ranganathan – Comedian Ross Kemp – Actor/Presenter Sebastian Croft – Actor/Singer-songwriter Sharon Rooney – Actor The EastEnders star can’t speak to anyone without accusing them of killing in plain sight. Poor Leigh-Anne Pinnock feels the wrath of the nation’s most beloved hardman for saying she was a bit chilly. If he’s unravelling this hard this quickly, he’s going to be unmissable. It’s hard to criticise such an impressive line-up but, of course, vast swathes of the internet found a way when it was announced, complaining there were ‘too many comedians’. Did they worry it could be too funny? Regardless, having half the Last One Laughing cast in the castle just brings endless belly-laughs and stellar commentary to the game. If there is any justice in the world, Joanne McNally will be the biggest breakout star from Celebrity Traitors, her scathing remarks and self-deprecating humour already a huge highlight. I just pray she makes it far enough to make the impact both she and the show deserve. I couldn’t possibly imagine Celebrity Traitors getting any better than Alan Carr blabbing to Cat Burns and Jonathan Ross at full volume about being a Traitor in front of the Faithfuls, but Richard is putting in the performance of his life. He may still be waiting for that Oscar, but I have no doubt a TV Bafta is just around the corner. If this is just the beginning, I feel sick with excitement about what’s to come. Celebrity Traitors airs Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm on BBC One. Deals of the Day Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Arrow MORE: Celebrity Traitors fans spot secret clue where star spoiled their identity: ‘Guilty as hell’ Arrow MORE: Who was Richard E. Grant’s wife who he ‘still writes to every night’? 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