Celebrity Traitors star Amol Rajan reveals his big mistake after first murder

| Senior TV Reporter Published October 3, 2026 12:00pm Updated October 3, 2026 12:00pm To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Former BBC journalist Amol Rajan admitted he ‘played the wrong game’ after he became the first murdered Celebrity Traitors star this series. The 43-year-old had the chance to brag his way into the turret alongside Maya Jama and Richard E Grant (no doubt, not for long), but they opted to recruit funnyman James Acaster instead. Rajan was, as a result, left inside a coffin in the chapel, sealing his fate as the first to go. The former Today host unpacked his gameplay during the second instalment of spin-off show Uncloaked, with host Ed Gamble. Admitting he wished he had been picked, he said: ‘It’s hard not to watch it and think, obviously, with 20/20 hindsight, I played the wrong game. That was a crazy, crazy once-in-a-lifetime (opportunity).’ Speaking after leaving the show, Rajan said: ‘I knew the character I was going in was the journalist who asks all the awkward questions. I told myself in advance, just shut up! Just shut up!’ The Traitors had to pick between James Acaster and Amol Rajan (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Rajan was left inside a coffin in the chapel, sealing his fate as the first to go (Picture: BBC) He added: ‘The one tactic you should try to abide by is to fly under the radar. Just shut up for the first few shows.’ The journalist described that night in the chapel as ‘one of the most intense experiences of my life’ and went on to praise Acaster, saying he will be ‘brilliant’ as a Traitor. As Uncloaked replayed various clips from his stint in Ardross Castle, Rajan was visibly frustrated at his inability to keep quiet, particularly when suspicion fell on Grant, after his spectacular unforced error. Elsewhere, in his official exit interview with the BBC, Rajan added: ‘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. Suspicion has fallen on Grant after his spectacular unforced error (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry/PA Wire) ‘The one tactic you should try to abide by is to fly under the radar. Just shut up for the first few shows’ (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative) Who is in the Celebrity Traitors season 2 cast? Amol Rajan – Journalist – MURDERED 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 ‘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 in it when it’s a show and a game I love so much is just a blessing, really. ‘Even if you’re someone who is on TV, there is still something amazing about actually being in the place that you see on TV. The kind of theatrical energy and character of that roundtable itself… It’s iconic. To actually be there, well, it’s spine-tingling.’ As for what comes next on Celebrity Traitors, we will have to wait until next week to discover if Grant indeed becomes the first turncoat to be banished out of the gate at the first roundtable. 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 Celebrity Traitors will return on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Arrow MORE: Jeremy Clarkson makes bizarre comment about ‘attractive’ Angela Scanlon after new radio job Arrow MORE: Is Casualty on tonight? When it’s back and next on TV confirmed Arrow MORE: Celebrity Traitors fans gasping after one Traitor betrays another so early in the game TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.