If Richard E Grant exits Celebrity Traitors this lethal player could change the game

This week we’ll see our first banishment – are Richard’s days numbered? (Picture: BBC) Warning: spoilers ahead for the first two episodes of Celebrity Traitors season 2. Across the nation, every Celebrity Traitors fan appears to be in agreement over one thing – the writing’s on the wall for Richard E Grant. Poor gleeful, mischievous, conniving but blundering Richard, who blurted out that he was a Traitor minutes after being chosen by Claudia Winkleman, is the obvious pick for the first roundtable banishment this Thursday. While some of the celebrities can’t fathom that he would be a Traitor, it’s likely that he’ll receive the majority of the votes and be ousted out. So where does that leave us? Original Traitor Maya Jama, ruling her roost in the Turret alongside the recently recruited James Acaster, who’s perhaps one of the most unwilling Traitors in the history of the game. And then, a possible new recruitment. If Maya and James select Bella Ramsey to join their ranks, it could change the course of the game completely. I’ve felt since the beginning that 23-year-old Bella is a dark horse in the competition. They’ve been in the showbiz world since they were 11 years old, making their debut as fan-favourite Game of Thrones character Lyanna Mormont. Lyanna was a force to be reckoned with in the epic fantasy show, a child who made grown men quake in her presence. Bella was so superb in the role that what was supposed to be a one-off appearance turned into a recurring role, culminating in Lyanna being crushed by an undead giant after stabbing it in the eye, going out in a blaze of glory. If James Acaster and Maya Jama were to recruit Bella Ramsey as a Traitor, it would be a stroke of genius (Picture: BBC) Bella went on to be cast as the lead in The Worst Witch, before delivering a menacing performance as Angelica in His Dark Materials. Then, in 2023, they joined forces with Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic thriller that’s taken the world by storm. 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! Since entering the Celebrity Traitors castle, Bella has come across as sweet, friendly and unassuming. However, as they made clear to Claudia when the host was sussing who she was going to pick as her Traitors, there’s more to Bella than meets the eye. ‘People think that I’m little and sweet, which, I suppose I am little. But I don’t know if people will expect me to be able to murder with the ease that I would be able to,’ Bella said, a sly smile on their face. Do you think Richard E Grant is going to be the first star banished? 100% – he's dug his own graveCheck He'll manage to weasel his way out of a banishmentCheck The roundtable could go either wayCheck Want to get bespoke updates on the TV shows you love? Sign up to Metro's TV newsletters and tell us which ones you can't get enough of In episode two, when the contestants were quizzing Richard about his bizarre declaration that he was a Traitor, Bella and James were sitting next to each other as they stared fixedly at the Withnail and I actor. Speaking in a VT, Bella said: ‘I’m the youngest here, but I pick up on everything. I’ve been playing this game since I was 10 years old,’ adding that they didn’t believe anything that Richard said, despite so many people claiming that he had to be a Faithful. Later on, Bella was having a private conversation with Heartstopper actor Sebastian Croft. They insisted to each other that they would have each other’s backs, even if they couldn’t trust each other 100%. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Maya has already proven that she’s a ruthless player (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Sebastian, 24, acknowledged in his own VT that Bella’s a ‘formidable player’, stating: ‘That’s someone who I’m definitely keeping an eye on.’ And he’s right to do so. As Bella said, they’ve been in the showbiz world since they were 10, being surrounded by adults, and learning who they could trust. Despite being a brilliant actor, for now I believe Bella is being underestimated as a sweet young player, an underestimation that could result in the older players being banished or murdered earlier than they would have predicted. For now, Bella’s keeping a fairly low profile (with the exception of Ross Kemp thinking they murdered him ‘in plain sight’ by placing a sailor’s hat on his head during a mission). That would make them the perfect pick to be recruited by Maya and James as a Traitor if Richard is banished, which he almost certainly will be on Thursday night. Bella could sneak in as a dark horse in the competition (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative) But then, the real game would really begin. James is a reluctant Traitor, having been forced to join Maya and Richard to avoid being murdered. Maya is a very strong player – she’s devious and already willing to throw Richard under the bus to save her own skin. If James and Maya end up recruiting Bella, James and Bella could team up against Maya to get their biggest threat out of the game. It’d be a powerful move that could cement them as being trustworthy among the rest of the cast to throw everyone off their scent. They could then either make it all the way to the end as a duo, or recruit one of Bella’s strongest allies – Sebastian – to create a trio that’s not only mighty, but stealthy too. I’ve felt since the start that Bella is an underrated player, and now I want to see the proof. Celebrity Traitors airs on Thursday and Friday nights at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. 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