Sir Stephen Fry has said he would like for his friend and “goddess” Celia Imrie to win The Celebrity Traitors.
The veteran actor, comedian and TV presenter, 68, who was often seen talking to Imrie, was banished during Thursday’s episode of the BBC One spin-off.
He said: “I’d love to see Celia or comedian Lucy (Beaumont) win because they are so eccentric and extraordinary.
“Lucy is such an extraordinary person, you know, and Celia is a goddess.”
Sir Stephen said it “was astonishing” to be involved in the game, which sees a group called the faithfuls attempt to identify and banish a smaller group of murderous traitors who want to steal their prize pot.
Speaking about his highlights, Sir Stephen said: “It’s the individual relationships really. Wonderful conversations with David Olusoga, with Clare Balding, both of whom I knew anyway, but hadn’t really had any profound relationship with as it were, so time in the game has given us that.
“Wonderful to meet people I didn’t know. Joe Marler, Cat Burns, Tameka Empson – of totally different fields and worlds of things, so it was lovely to get to know them.
“I suppose really, the thing is, when you’re a child, from all the way from earliest childhood, you’re used to being in groups…
“Groups can be bad, because there’s popularity, and the pecking order sometimes but humans are group animals, social animals.
“Then, when you’re a student, you still have groups, and you go to pubs together, you go on holidays together, and you live in houses together when you first afford to live somewhere in a group.
“And then eventually you start – just as the super group of all time, The Beatles – you start pairing off, and the group disappears.
“And you’re individuals, you’re little nuclear families. And so, it’s a marvellous experience at my time in life to be in a group again, and to feel the mixture of pleasure and frustration and everything else that group existence gives you.”
Sir Stephen said he felt “extremely worried” about the missions as one of the earlier ones involved the players pushing a wooden Trojan horse, which involved a lot of physical exertion.
“The first major mission was a Trojan horse, and that was physically very demanding”, he said.
“I was extremely worried that they were all going to be like that.
“I’m not unfit but also not a gym-goer. Joe Marler was next to me, England and British Lions rugby player, strong as an ox and he was pretty exhausted, which made me feel slightly better pushing it up the hill.
“The art department and construction is so impressive and the missions are imaginative and delightful, all of them have been good fun.”
The Celebrity Traitors continues next Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
