With The Celebrity Traitors starting next week, here are interviews with comedians
• James Acaster
• Joe Lycett
• Miranda Hart
• Romesh Ranganathan
who are all taking part, alongside Rob Beckett and Joanne McNally and a host of other famous names...
Why have you decided to take part in The Celebrity Traitors?
I just love it. I'm a huge fan and have been since series one. I instantly got addicted to it. Then I really loved the first Celebrity series and instantly became jealous that I wasn't doing it. I had to get in here!
Do you know anyone that did it last time?
I know some of the comics. I saw both Joe Wilkinson and Nick Mohammed after they’d done it and l said, ‘Yo, congrats! It was great!’ They talked to me a bit about what it was like for them. I think they both had different experiences. Joe was very laid-back, and Nick was very much trying to crack the case. I think I'm going to be a mix of the two.
Do you quite like games and puzzles and figuring things out?
I do, but I'm not very competitive. I just like how fun they are, the joy in trying to do the thing rather than determined to come out on top. It does mean I’m never too disappointed.
Are you looking forward to the missions?
I am actually because it will be nice to just get outside. It's a beautiful part of Scotland. Growing up, I was in the Scouts so it's going to be nice to get back to that. I haven't had that in my life for a long time.
Have you done anything to prepare apart from the years of Scouting?
Years of Scouting and I do my morning crossword. That keeps me mentally agile.
How would you describe your strategy in three words?
Absolutely no touching. Not letting anyone touch me, because I'm not getting murdered in plain sight.
Apart from Claudia Winkleman, she might need to touch your shoulder if you’re selected as a Traitor…
Yeah, I hope that doesn't happen. I’d like to be a Faithful. This is the only time I’ll be able to play it, and I like being in a position of figuring something out rather than having the information the Traitors have.
You may need to be good at bluffing and deception. What's the biggest lie you've ever got away with?
If I tell you, I haven't got away with it anymore. I'm not good at lying and I don't make a habit of it. Maybe the biggest lie I've ever got away with was telling Ed Gamble I'm not doing The Celebrity Traitors.
Have you got any hobbies that we might not know about that might be useful in this game?
I do all the New York Times puzzles in the morning. Could be useful. I don't know if drumming is going to come in handy, but I do that too. I don't think it will, but who knows.
Lots of comedians taking part this year…
Which is a concern. There will be suspicions that it’s going to be at least one of these guys, that we might form an alliance if we’re not broken apart. I think we're going to be the first ones under the magnifying glass being looked at. Particularly at the beginning when youhave absolutely nothing to go on. And then you consider that a comedian won last year with Alan Carr disarming everyone with jokes the whole time. He has tainted us all!
Hannah Fry will probably tell you that probability-wise, there’s most likely to be at least one comic chosen as a Traitor because there's enough of us. Even though it could obviously easily be three people who aren't comedians…I don't know how it works out, but if maths turns against us we're in big trouble.
Do you think you can win this?
I have genuinely no idea at all. Because every time I watch any of the series there seems to be no rhyme or reason. People can be really quiet, and they make it to the end. People are huge characters, and they make it to the end… Yeah, I could be there to the end. It’s anyone’s game really.
Why did you decide to take part in The Celebrity Traitors?
Because – I’m going to say it - it’s the best show on TV. The first series was just such phenomenally good television, and I didn’t think that it could be bettered, and then the celeb series came along. The last episode was beautiful. That first year I sent a DM on Twitter, which was not responded to, to Studio Lambert to ask if they could send me all the rushes. I just was so hit by it and wanted more.
I am just thrilled to be part of the universe of The Traitors and to have been asked. I have no idea how to play it. I don't think you can particularly. I think you just have to let it play itself a little bit.
Have you spoken to anyone that did it last year?
I texted Joe Wilkinson and asked, ‘what are the toilet facilities like in the castle?’ and he said, ‘they’re fine unless you went in after Claudia.’ So there we go. I asked Alan Carr for advice of ‘how to spot a rotten little Traitor like you’ and he said, ‘just anyone that’s sweating and giggling.’
Do you want to be a Traitor or a Faithful?
Both. I want to start as a Faithful and then be converted. I think I’d find it very stressful being a Traitor, but I think you only get one chance to have a go at it, don't you? Being a Faithful is probably a much nicer experience because you don't have all the cognitive load of having to lie all the time, and you get to go to bed earlier.
But you don’t get a cloak. And as you're known for your flamboyant outfits, it would be a shame to cover those. Have you got some good looks for the castle?
I think so. There's a lot of variety and silly stuff that I might not get to wear at all if I end up doing a Paloma. I’ll just wear them for the supermarket shop if that happens.
Do you see yourself as more of a leader, a team player, or a lone wolf?
It depends on the context. I sometimes lead teams when I do TV shows, things like that. You're kind of the head of the ship, but I have been described by friends as a lone wolf because I really love my own company and I'm not very reactive, so I don't respond in the moment to things. I will take information in, and then I'll go away and think about it, and then respond with a year to 10 year long campaign to destroy the person who's wronged me.
How do you feel about taking on the missions?
That's the bit I'm most excited about. I've been trying to get fitter and stronger over the last few months, just for my own well-being and to be a better father and all of that. I'm incredibly strong now. As strong as an ox. Fierce as well. As fierce as a tiger. As agile as a fish. A fish that is agile.
How do you think your public persona will affect how others perceive you and treat you in the game?
So, when I started doing stand-up, my on and off-stage persona were quite similar. I showed off at parties because I wanted attention and then, gradually, as I got that attention through doing stand-up, I could calm down in real life.
When I’m not out on stage I’m very calm, thoughtful and peaceful. I think the comics know what I'm like on and off stage, but I think the others who, for the first time, will spend time with me not in ‘show mode’ might see that as suspicious. I definitely come across assumptions of ‘oh, he's the gay comedian off the telly’ and I explain I've got a female partner and a son with said female partner. I’m really quite a tranquil individual when not in performance mode which may surprise some.
How does it feel to take part in The Celebrity Traitors?
I'm very excited. I also feel slightly like I'm having an out-of-body experience, like I'm on some sort of tour of The Traitors, not actually going to be in it. So now I’m nervous. I'm nervited - nervous, and excited. I love a compound word.
Why did you decide to take part?
My decision-making in life generally, and certainly work, is follow the joy. I haven't done much TV work for a long time, having only recently come out of long-term ill health issues and when I was offered this, my whole body relaxed, I smiled, and I just wanted to jump about like a schoolgirl with joy. It's just fun. It's outdoors; it’s games. All the stuff I love. It's play basically. I'm passionate about encouraging people to play more generally, and this game is that in spades. It’s a brilliant television show – the only flaw in taking part is that as a fan of the show it will be less fun to watch it with myself in it!
When it was announced you’d taken part, we saw you mentioned potential galloping…
When someone said on Instagram, ‘Oh, I hope you gallop in the castle,’ I foolishly replied, "'ight, I now take that as a dare.’ So that was idiotic of me. I will have to at some point gallop down a corridor.
It's good to have you back on our screens, how are you feeling now?
I'm still living with elements of ME, and that brings fatigue and pain to manage, but I have come to a point where I feel well enough to step out, and that's also partly why I'm doing this. The joy of mucking about on television again will hopefully outweigh some of the challenges. And I think it will be challenging on my body, so it'll be interesting, and it'll take some courage as this is a big next step.
When you live with a chronic illness, it's invisible, so people don't know that you're sitting there in pain. But then it reminds you that everybody's got their thing. So, I'm also really looking forward to making friends and looking after each other and hopefully they can carry me up a hill or whatever we're going to have to do!
Would you call yourself a team player, a leader or a bit of a lone wolf?
I’m a bit of all of those things. I think I'm a lone wolf in that I love my alone time. So being with people constantly all day will be very new for me (I’ll either not stop talking or will have to tell people to pipe down!). But then I love being a team player because I used to be an athlete back in the day, so was part of sports teams which I always miss. I’d probably prefer to not be the leader but part of the team. Being in the ensemble is often better than being the lead role.
Are you better at telling lies or spotting them?
Well, she says boldly at the beginning of the experience, I think I'm excellent at both. When I watch Would I Lie to You?, about 90 per cent of the time I get it right. I very much see myself as a psychological sleuth with no training whatsoever and nothing to back that claim up.
Have you got any hobbies that we might not know about that might be useful in the game?
My favourite thing in life is being in or on water. Love swimming. Love being on a boat. Sitting by a river, in a river, on a river, slash sea, slash loch. I don't mind a bit of cold water swimming. So, if there’s a mission that requires a large woman to bob about in water, I’m there.
Do you want to be a Traitor or a Faithful?
initially thought, well, I’d like to be a Traitor, because you feel like you're just having more of the experience, but now I've gone the other way and I want to be a Faithful. I think it would be more fun to try to guess. And we can't let another stupid comedian as a Traitor win. None of that, please!
Are you still in touch with all of the cast Miranda?
Oh yes, we’re really good friends. I got messages in the WhatsApp group about this. Everyone’s so excited.
You were live on Radio 2 when it was announced you’d be taking part in The Celebrity Traitors, what has the reaction been like?
I think everyone’s surprised because a lot of my friends and family didn't think I'd ever come on a show like this. The truth is I didn't think I would do this show because I really enjoy it. It's one of those shows that's a family event in our house, so we all sit down to watch it, and those things are few and far between now. Contrary to popular belief, I do watch things and not ask to go on them!
So, I was watching it, and we're having a good time, and I'd never had any aspirations of being on the show, and then my youngest son was desperate for me to come on, so it's kind of his fault.
What has your mum said?
I just want to have a fun game, but you know my mum is classic. ‘You better win. You have to win!’ She's like, it's the opposite of what you want to hear. It's not a pep talk. It’s insistent.
How does it feel to be doing it with Rob Beckett?
Well, it's weird, isn't it? Because Rob is one of my best friends, and we've worked together for a decade now, but I still won't be able to trust it. He's just as easily going to be on my side as he is going to twist the knife in my back given the opportunity. It's completely unpredictable. It can't be the end of the relationship because it’s financially beneficial. But I think if it wasn't financially beneficial, then it could be the end of the friendship.
And vice versa, would you stab him in the back?
In a heartbeat, yeah.
Have you got a strategy?
Not really. One of my biggest issues is that I'm not particularly observant, which isn't ideal for this game. So I need to work on that. I need to become more of an active listener. I've got the gist. I'm a very gist guy, and in The Traitors, you can't be a gist guy. You've got to look at nuance and stuff like that.
Have you done anything special to prepare?
I've tried to. I've read sports psychology books because one of the things that I realised about this is the pressure really gets to you so that can throw your judgement off. I want to remain completely cool and calm, so I've read some books about how to try and stay chilled in moments of pressure.
Do you see yourself as more of a leader, a team player, or a lone wolf?
Socially, I've always been a lone wolf, but that hasn't been my choice. I don't think I'm a leader, so I think I like I would describe myself as somebody who likes to play off the frontman, you know? I'm in the group. I'm happy to offer my opinion, but I'm not going to take the lead unless I'm asked to. I don't think I'm worth following. Before the game starts, I really need to develop some sort of self-belief.
What do you think you'd find more difficult, being wrongly accused and having to defend yourself, or having to deceive others?
Well, I was on The Jonathan Ross Show, and Joe Marler asked me if I was going to be on The Celebrity Traitors, and I knew that I was, but I also knew that I couldn't say. Even that felt really difficult. Up until that point, I thought I'd be all right at lying, but now I don't. That basically shook my confidence completely. I think that one of the things that you tend to do when you're lying is really over-explain. When you're trying to defend yourself, you really over explain too. So, my strategy in that regard is going to be to try and under-explain.
Have you got any hobbies that we might not know about that might be useful in the game?
If there is a music-related mission then maybe that. I'm working on an album. That's a hobby of mine, that I keep going to a studio and laying down some bars on a hip-hop album. Although since I've started recording it, I've lost confidence in everything I've recorded so far. So, it might never see the light of day. It might be a posthumous release.
Do you think you can win?
If it was a game that completely and solely relied on skill, then no, I don't think I could win it. But I think that it's such a thin line between an amazing game and a terrible game. The truth is, it's impossible to know. But I think that I can. I mean, it's possible. Do I think I'm going to? No.
• The Celebrity Traitors starts on Thursday October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
