Jonathan Ross has revealed he “didn’t enjoy” his time filming Celebrity Traitors, admitting he has even warned his famous friends not to take part in future series.
The veteran broadcaster, 64, was one of 19 celebrity contestants who travelled to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands for the first celebrity spin-off of the hit BBC show, which launched to rave reviews last week.
Chosen by host Claudia Winkleman to play one of the titular Traitors alongside comedian Alan Carr and singer Cat Burns, Ross was tasked with secretly “murdering” his fellow contestants while avoiding detection.
But speaking on his Reel Talk podcast, the chat show host confessed that the deceit quickly took its toll.
“I’ve had two celebrity friends call me and say, ‘I’ve been approached — should I do it?’” he said. “I’m giving them the benefit of my experience, which was that I didn’t enjoy it. I found the lying really wearing; it left me feeling increasingly uncomfortable.”
He continued: “You’re sharing cars with people in the mornings, trying not to give anything away, and you end up lying constantly. You’re on the defence the whole time, looking people in the eye and lying.”
The tension reached boiling point early on when Carr shockingly “murdered” his close friend Paloma Faith during the first round — using the pollen of a black lily to secretly mark her face. Faith was later placed in a coffin and carried out during a challenge, discovering the betrayal only after filming.
Reacting on The Traitors: Uncloaked, the singer fumed: “Jonathan? The geek. What a p****. I’m happy to lose him as a friend. These are three of my favourite people. I hope they never call me again.”
Despite her anger, Faith has since poked fun at her exit, posting a TikTok video pretending to be terrified of flowers. Carr also joined in on the joke, sharing a clip of himself ordering a cocktail and quipping, “I could murder a Paloma.”
Celebrity Traitors continues on Thursday, with Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway, YouTuber Niko Omilana and EastEnders star Tameka Empson all facing possible banishment from the castle.
