Aside from the early games of the club rugby season, rugby fans may find themselves tuning into reality television over the coming weeks, and that’s because of Joe Marler’s presence on Celebrity Traitors.
Marler, the former Harlequins captain and England international, is one of 19 famous faces on the celebrity spin-off of the smash-hit game show, which begins on Wednesday October 8 on the BBC in the UK.
The Traitors format sees the group divided into ’traitors’ and ‘faithfuls’, the former colluding to ‘murder’ fellow contestants each round, while others are ‘banished’ by popular vote as the group attempts to work out who the traitors are. Strategy, duplicity, and herd mentality combine to produce many moments of drama as the contestants scrap for the prize pot of £100,000 – in this case donated to charity.
So big has the show become since its UK launch in 2022, it has attracted a star-studded cast for its first celebrity edition, to the point where Marler feels he’s “one of the lesser-known characters in the game” but also that he could “use that lack of celebrity to my advantage”.
But how will he get on? Rugby World takes a look ahead…
Celebrity Traitors TV details – at a glance
– Dates: Wednesdays & Thursdays at 9pm UK time, starting October 8
– Watch on TV: BBC One
– Stream free: BBC iPlayer
– Watch from anywhere: Unblock your usual streams with 70% off NordVPN
How will Joe Marler play Celebrity Traitors?
Analysis from Rugby World Deputy Editor, Josh Graham
Joe Marler was known for his ‘banter’ and on-field playacting during his rugby career and will definitely bring some added spice to the castle.
He would make the ultimate traitor, using his skills from his podcast Things People Do to befriend the other celebs and get them onside while secretly scheming in the dark of the night.
Marler always liked a joke and could help lighten the mood, especially when things get tense.
However, he has misjudged situations in the past – grabbing Alun Wyn Jones by the testicles landed him in hot water – so he may be at risk of overplaying his hand and getting voted out.
He’s not afraid to turn on his own mates when in a competitive situation, the famous water bottle-squirting incident with James Haskell when Harlequins played Wasps springs to mind.
One thing is for certain, he should be up to the task when it comes to the challenges, especially those that require any physical exertion. Marler was a very durable loosehead prop and is mightily strong.
In a game where it’s good to build a support network and have people on side, Marler might struggle as he has often rubbed people up the wrong way.
He’s definitely a character so might struggle if the best option is to blend into the background at certain points. Although you’d think he can play the part of pretending like he’s not cottoned onto things well, whilst covertly having his finger on the pulse.
Above all else, he’ll definitely be an entertaining watch!
What has Joe Marler said about Celebrity Traitors?
“I’m a massive fanboy of The Traitors. Ever since getting the call I’ve been giddy because I want to play the game that I love the most. I want to be part of it, and I want to know how it all works. I’m living out my dreams,” Marler said in a promotional interview with the BBC.
“I’m here to win it. As much as I love the show, I’m not here to just be like, what a great experience. I might think that after, grateful to have played whatever part I had in it. But as soon as that game begins, my game face is on.”
As for how he’ll play the game, Marler revealed he’d prefer to be a traitor, despite describing his poker face as ‘awful’.
“My strategy, if I’m a Traitor, is to play dumb and friendly. Big, cuddly, friendly guy. I’m just really happy to be here. How much fun is this? Oh, my God! How nice is the castle! Have you tried the food? Yeah, the food here is incredible. Yeah, that sort of attitude. Little do they know that I’m plotting to murder them secretly.”
Not that he’ll shy away from confrontation.
“I’ll feel comfortable calling people out if I have an idea though. I like awkward conversations. Awkwardness is sort of my favourite. I think you can find the most out of people when they’re put into an awkward situation, pack them into a corner and see what happens. You find the real person, how they deal with it.
“I have no idea which one of me is going to come out in this game because I don’t know what it’s going to do to me! I think, as a fan, you have ideas – we could play it like that and do it like this. Then when I’m actually in the castle and in amongst all these well-known celebrities, which Joe is going to come out? I just don’t know but I’m looking forward to finding out.”
How to watch Celebrity Traitors
Celebrity Traitors is airing exclusively in the UK through the public broadcaster, BBC.
Every episode will be shown live on BBC One on free-to-air terrestrial television, as well as streaming for free live and on-demand on the BBC iPlayer service.
New episodes air on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 9pm UK time, running for five weeks and nine episodes from October 8 through November 5. Episodes will only be watch on-demand on iPlayer after they’ve aired, so you can’t binge the whole series in one go, unless you wait until it has finished.
BBC iPlayer is free to use with a registration, and don’t forget to have your TV licence up to date.
Watch from anywhere
Away from home over the coming weeks? You can still get your fix of Joe Marler on Celebrity Traitors even while abroad, thanks to a handy piece of software known as a VPN.
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Celebrity Traitors Schedule & Episode Guide
- Episode 1 – Wednesday, October 8, 9pm
- Episode 2 – Thursday, October 9, 9pm
- Episode 3 – Wednesday, October 15, 9pm
- Episode 4 – Thursday, October 16, 9pm
- Episode 5 – Wednesday, October 22, 9pm
- Episode 6 – Thursday, October 23, 9pm
- Episode 7 – Wednesday, October 29, 9pm
- Episode 8 – Thursday, October 30, 9pm
- Episode 9 – Wednesday, November 5, 9pm
See also – Who is Joe Marler: Ten things you should know about the England prop
Celebrity Traitors contestants
- Clare Balding (broadcaster)
- Lucy Beaumont (comedian)
- Mark Bonnar (actor)
- Cat Burns (musician)
- Alan Carr (comedian)
- Charlotte Church (singer)
- Ruth Codd (actor)
- Tom Daley (former diver)
- Tameka Empson (actor)
- Paloma Faith (musician)
- Stephen Fry (actor)
- Kate Garraway (broadcaster)
- Celia Imrie (actor)
- Joe Marler (former rugby player)
- Nick Mohammed (actor)
- David Olusoga (historian)
- Niko Omilana (content creator)
- Jonathan Ross (broadcaster)
- Joe Wilkinson (comedian)
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