Ed Gamble: ‘Celebrity Traitors is a revelation – the tension is massive’

‘You’re in for a treat!’

Ed Gamble, host of BBC’s Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, can’t get enough of this year’s antics which have been keeping us glued to our TV’s.

The Celebrity Traitors has become one of Britain’s most-watched shows, beating Strictly Come Dancing and pulling in a whopping 11.7 million viewers for the launch show alone. And it’s easy to see why with the likes of Celia Imrie, Sir Stephen Fry, and David Olusoga taking part – the expectations for the series were through the roof before it even started.

And Ed, who is tasked with chatting to banished and murdered celebrities on the official aftershow, knows exactly why it’s working so well.

‘The celebrity version has been a total revelation. It’s been incredible. We know a lot of these personalities already, so it’s a way funnier series than we’ve seen before. I adore the civilian version of the show, but it takes a couple of episodes to get to know the personalities, and the tension increases once you get to know them,’ Ed, 39, tells Metro.

‘There’s a high novelty factor and the tension is massive because they’re so immersed in the game. I’m loving every single second of it, as I believe the entire nation is. It’s all anyone wants to talk to me about, including my own mother!’

‘Even though it’s not a British format, I think it really speaks to a British sensibility of being a parlour game – the sort of thing you play at home with your family on a rainy day, but with camp added to it. That, the humour, and a huge budget with the sweeping shots of Scotland. You’ve just got everything in one TV show.’

Sweating, giggling, and fibbing his way into his new role as a Traitor after being enlisted by presenter Claudia Winkleman alongside chatshow host Jonathan Ross and singer Cat Burns, Alan is flying under the radar for a reason.

Ed says: ‘I watched Alan being selected as a Traitor on a live feed while in Scotland when it was happening and I punched the air. I was so delighted.

‘It’s a bold move. He said he wanted to be a Traitor but immediately giggled afterwards. I’ve been surprised that he doesn’t seem to have massively slipped up yet. It’s just Alan being Alan.’

But how is the country’s beloved Chatty Man who sealed his real-life friend Paloma Faith’s fate becoming such a duplicitous backstabber on the show?

‘There’s been no change in his behaviour. He’s not looked worried at any point. He’s laughing when no one else is laughing. When someone’s murdered and they don’t come to breakfast, it cuts to Alan and he’s trying to stifle a giggle. I actually think he’s coming into his own.’

With suspicions growing about Jonathan Ross, Ed describes his murder of Ruth Codd as ‘bold’, declaring it would ‘never happen’ on the civilian series.

‘What we need to remember is it’s Jonathan Ross. Jonathan is an incredible host, personality, and a great broadcaster, and I don’t think taking a backseat and being quiet is necessarily in his lexicon.’

While the BBC is yet to officially confirm a second series of show, Ed is already lining up his dream roster full of his friends and collaborators from the world of comedy.

‘I would really like to see James Acaster in there,’ he laughs. But there’s a catch. ‘He said he would like to do it without taking part in any of the challenges.’

‘I’d love to see Nish Kumar, Sam Campbell, Judi Love. Greg Davies would be great; I’d love to get him in there. I’m sure we’ll see a few more comics because they seem to have done very well this time.’

Ed’s no stranger to twists and turns. Currently juggling his Uncloaked duties, presenting the hugely successful Off Menu podcast alongside comedian James Acaster, as well as touring his standup material, even unwinding these days involves sitting in front of the TV.

‘When I come home, I get to unwind by watching my favourite TV shows and making notes about them, and it really doesn’t feel like a job. I’m sure if I spoke to a therapist about this, they’d say that there were some real issues with that. But for now, it’s good.’

Away from the screen, the presenter’s latest passion for wrestling has given him a new persona – Ed ‘The Gambler’ Gamble. He’s even hoping John Cena and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will join him in the dream restaurant for an episode of Off Menu.

‘They would make me feel starstruck. There’s always a worry the big American celebrities won’t know what the show is, but I find that a really interesting challenge, trying to find the rhythm with a guest. You get over it very quickly as soon as you ask if they’d prefer still or sparkling water!’

Often taking part in charity matches against fellow comedians, he insists we won’t see him forming the next version of The Hardy Boyz in a tag team with his podcast co-host any time soon. However, there is a certain Celebrity Traitors star who has caught his eye.

‘James Acaster would be an absolutely useless teammate. If I wanted a celebrity on my side, it’s got be Joe Marler. It’s difficult to state quite how big he is in real life. You don’t get a sense of it on screen. That man is gigantic.’

The Celebrity Traitors’ visualised companion podcast, Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, airs on BBC Two immediately after the main series, and is also available on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.  

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