Comedian Ricky Gervais made a strategic decision to decline participation in the latest series of Celebrity Traitors, according to fellow comedian Jonathan Ross. The revelation came during Ross's podcast, where he explained Gervais's clever reasoning for avoiding the popular BBC reality show.
The Big Dog Theory Explained
During an episode of his Reel Talk podcast, Ross shared details of his conversation with Gervais. Both comedians are 64 years old and had been approached to appear on the celebrity edition of the hit show. Ross explained that Gervais had called him after hearing rumours about his involvement.
"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 going to have to be one of these bigger names,'" Ross recounted. Gervais believed that more famous contestants would be immediately targeted for elimination, regardless of whether they were Faithful or Traitors.
Ross acknowledged that Gervais had "nailed the Big Dog theory" with his prediction. This theory, originally proposed by contestant Joe Marler, suggested that host Claudia Winkleman had selected Stephen Fry to lead the Faithful and Jonathan Ross to lead the Traitors because of their prominent status.
How the Theory Played Out
The Celebrity Traitors series ultimately proved Gervais correct in his assessment. Jonathan Ross became the first Traitor to be banished from the competition, despite the show experiencing a record number of murders and banishments before any Traitor was successfully identified.
Ross's early departure demonstrated that bigger names indeed faced greater scrutiny from fellow contestants. The theory took longer than expected to manifest, but eventually led to Ross's banishment when the cast finally successfully identified their first Traitor.
Meanwhile, Alan Carr managed to navigate the game's complexities by maintaining his deception throughout the entire competition. The comedian successfully fooled his fellow contestants, including Faithful finalists Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga.
Carr's Emotional Victory
In a dramatic final reveal, Alan Carr disclosed his true identity as a Traitor during the roundtable discussion. The emotional climax saw Carr overcome with feeling as he embraced his fellow finalists after his victory was secured.
Carr's win marked a significant achievement in the series, as he managed to maintain his deceptive role while navigating the social dynamics of the game. His success demonstrated that while the "Big Dog theory" might eliminate some prominent players early, strategic gameplay could still lead to victory.
The Celebrity Traitors series has proven immensely popular with audiences and is available for streaming on BBC iPlayer. The show continues to attract significant celebrity interest, though Gervais's revelation suggests some stars are considering the strategic implications before joining the cast.
