Ricky Gervais could have been plotting by candlelight in the Scottish Highlands. Instead, he’s one of several famous faces now said to be quietly wishing they’d said yes.
Jonathan Ross has revealed that the BBC approached Gervais to join the first series of Celebrity Traitors – but the After Life star turned it down, convinced his fame would make him an early target.
Speaking on his Reel Talk podcast, Ross, who was a key player in the hit series, recalled: “I had a chat with Ricky Gervais. He called me after The Traitors. And he was asked to go in. He called me because I think my name had got out there, nothing had been confirmed before we filmed it,” he explained.
“He said, ‘Are you doing this Traitors thing?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m doing it. Stephen Fry is definitely doing it, and Alan [Carr] is going in…’ and he said: ‘I’m not doing it. The reason I’m not doing it is, I’m pretty sure that if you go in there they’re going to say it’s got to be one of these bigger names.
“You’re going to wind up getting voted out just because they think you’re a bigger name in the outside world.’” Ross added: “So he nailed the Big Dogs theory...’”
During the series, the so-called “Faithfuls” quickly turned on the biggest names in the castle, including Fry and Ross himself, before Alan Carr outfoxed them all to win the £87,500 prize fur his chosen charity in front of a record-breaking audience.
More than 14 million tuned in to watch Carr crowned the winner, making Celebrity Traitors the BBC’s most-watched unscripted show since 2021. The finale trended for days, cementing its status as Britain’s new reality obsession.
And now, The Standard hears, the celebrities who once brushed it off are desperate to get in on the act.
“Everyone’s kicking themselves,” one industry insider said. “You had big names saying they didn’t have time or didn’t get it and now they’re texting producers trying to see if there’s space next year. The viewing figures shocked everyone.”
The list of early refuseniks reads like a who’s who of primetime telly. Richard Osman turned it down because he couldn’t be guaranteed to play a Traitor. Martin Lewis said no due to scheduling clashes. Karren Brady claimed she’d never even seen the show. Lorraine Kelly, Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie all politely declined, citing work and family.
At the time, it seemed understandable - another celebrity reality spin-off set in a castle. But the show’s blend of paranoia, plotting and perfectly timed Claudia Winkleman turned it into a national talking point.
Viewers devoured every backstab, every wide-eyed accusation, every “murder” by torchlight. By the final episode, it was appointment television - and the BBC had a bona fide hit on its hands.
Insiders now say casting for series two, set to film in 2026, is already underway and that producers are “being flooded” with calls from agents of A-listers who previously passed.
The second series is expected to return to the same Scottish castle, with Winkleman once again presiding in her signature black coat. BBC bosses are reportedly considering expanding the line-up and increasing prize fund after the runaway success of the debut.
The series is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
