It turns out the most unlikely of rumors was true – Tom Hiddleston was lined up to appear in the second series of Celebrity Traitors. The Avengers actor, one of the biggest film stars of the 21st century and lead of the acclaimed BBC thriller The Night Manager, was painfully close to making it to Ardross Castle but had to drop out of filming at the last minute due to an unavoidable scheduling clash.
According to The Sun, the 45-year-old was 'gutted' to miss out on the fun as a huge fan of the show, which returns this autumn with Claudia Winkleman back as host. Earlier this year, Hiddleston called Traitors 'maybe the best television I've seen' and said he 'loved' the celebrity version, which was viewed by more than 15 million people last year and won by Alan Carr.
'I think the format is just the most ingenious thing, isn't it? It's completely compulsive,' he said during a Radio 2 appearance. Asked if he would want to be a faithful or a traitor, he replied: 'I don't know, I think it would be really interesting to be a Faithful, because then you have to play detectives, right? And you know your conscience is clean and heart is pure, and you're just watching and trying to figure people out. If you're a Traitor, it's more an acting exercise.'
The Celebrity Traitors Season 2 Line-Up in Full
- Amol Rajan – Broadcaster
- Bella Ramsey – Actor
- James Acaster – Comedian
- James Blunt – Singer and Songwriter
- Jerry Hall – Model and Actress
- Joanne McNally – Comedian
- Joe Lycett – Comedian
- Julie Hesmondhalgh – Actor
- King Kenny – Content Creator
- Leigh-Anne Pinnock – Musician
- Maya Jama – Broadcaster
- Michael Sheen – Actor
- Miranda Hart – Actor
- Myha'la – Actor
- Professor Hannah Fry – Broadcaster and TV Scientist
- Richard E. Grant – Actor
- Rob Beckett – Comedian
- Romesh Ranganathan – Comedian
- Ross Kemp – Actor
- Sebastian Croft – Musician
- Sharon Rooney – Actor
In Tom's absence, there are still huge Hollywood titans sitting around that roundtable, with Richard E. Grant and Michael Sheen both in the cast. They are joined by a huge selection of comedians, including Joanne McNally, Joe Lycett, James Acaster, and the double act of Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett. Elsewhere, Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, and EastEnders hardman Ross Kemp are also in the incredible line-up.
The BBC confirmed the official line-up last Saturday, while filming is currently well underway. Celebrity Traitors returns to BBC One this autumn.
