When the BBC first debuted The Traitors in November 2022, none of the producers of the game of deception could have predicted that an 18-stone rugby player, covered in tattoos and with a hipster fashion sense, would become one of its greatest ever players.
Yet that’s exactly what Joe Marler, a father of four who played 95 times for England, has achieved on all-star spin-off The Celebrity Traitors.
From the very first episode of the star-studded gameshow, Marler, 35, has stood out, and it’s not because of his striking mohawk-beard combo.
Often, the most successful players of this game are those who coast through under the radar, and don’t ruffle any feathers. But Marler, from the very beginning, has done quite the opposite.
Throughout the game, Marler has shown a cool but focused determination to uncover the Traitors. He has shown a deft ability to rally the other Faithfuls, a skill perhaps learnt from his years of playing rugby, a sport fundamentally driven by teamwork. He frequently demands that others come forward with concrete theories, and he steps in to defend other Faithfuls when they are accused.
But Marler really came into his own in episode three, thanks to his “Big Dog Theory”.
With the help of comedian Joe Wilkinson, with whom he sparked a budding bromance dubbed the “Joealition”, Marler suggested that Claudia Winkleman had selected the two most famous faces in the game, Jonathan Ross and Sir Stephen Fry, as the leaders of the Traitors and the Faithfuls, respectively.
Although that was a slightly far-fetched idea, Marler was among the first contestants to identify Ross as a Traitor and lead the charge against the presenter, until he was finally banished in episode seven.
Marler has grown to become the most confrontational contestant during the tense roundtables. As the episodes have gone by, and more and more Faithfuls have been eliminated, Marler’s frustration has begun to show, resulting in feisty interactions with Mark Bonnar, Alan Carr and Ross.
His bullish behaviour at the roundtables has made for compelling TV, but didn’t always sit well with his fellow contestants. “Why are you acting cocky round the table?,” asked an exasperated Lucy Beaumont. “You’re not like this as much - it’s like you do ramp it up, Joe.”
While his confrontational style might have created an awkward atmosphere for the others (and is arguably a risky tactic in this game), so far, his full-blooded commitment to the Faithful agenda has only seen him receive two votes during the roundtables.
Marler hasn’t always been astute in his suspicions, having cast votes that eliminated Faithfuls such as Bonnar, Niko Omilana and Kate Garraway, but it looks like he’s saved his greatest theory until last.
In a to-camera interview at the conclusion of episode eight, in a “genius” move that would have impressed Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Marler correctly guessed that Alan Carr and Cat Burns are the only two remaining Traitors. He secretly confided his theory to Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga, in a bid to build a pact against the Traitors, creating a truly thrilling set-up for next week’s final.
Although his detective work would make Colombo and Batman proud, Marler’s enthusiasm and sense of humour have also been a godsend. Despite his gruff exterior, he’s not shied away from making a joke of himself by walking across one challenge’s rickety bridge like Frankenstein’s Monster, or cloaking himself in a fluffy pink blanket. When the game requires seriousness he has been all business, but he’s also often been the first to provide a deadpan levity to the otherwise taut atmosphere.
In the opening moments of episode one, Stephen Fry said: “Let the very worst person win.” On the contrary, if Marler wins, then the greatest Faithful ever will have triumphed.
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