Comedian Joanne McNally has delivered on a playful promise by staging a humorous attempt to eat a hat. This followed actor Richard E. Grant’s elimination from The Celebrity Traitors. McNally had fiercely defended the acting veteran during the BBC reality show’s first banishment roundtable. She insisted he was a Faithful, despite his upfront admission of being a Traitor.
The twist unfolded during the opening episodes of the hit reality show’s second season. Richard E. Grant made television history by becoming the first Traitor ever eliminated during the very first roundtable. His unconventional strategy involved openly acknowledging his assigned role right after being recruited. This bold move failed to convince his fellow contestants.
Despite Richard’s explicit confession, McNally remained entirely convinced of his innocence. Speaking on her podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me alongside co-host Vogue Williams, McNally reflected on her misplaced trust. "I’m defending him to the hilt," she told listeners. "When I say I have never believed something more than he was the Faithful, it was wild… It turns out he’s a really good actor and turns out I am the most gullible human alive." She added that she had jokingly vowed to "eat her hat" if he turned out to be telling the truth.
The near-unanimous vote-which notably included ballots from fellow Traitors Maya Jama and James Acaster-exposed Richard’s true allegiance and sent him packing. McNally then faced up to her erroneous judgment. Ahead of a comedy performance in Denver, she filmed herself tracking down a cap to fulfill her pledge.
Choosing a Denver Broncos baseball cap, McNally added salt to the brim and pretended to chew on it in a viral social media video. "I might have the lie detector skills of a toilet brush, but I am a woman of my word!" she wrote in the caption, accompanying the post with playful jabs at her former co-star.
The lighthearted clip amused fans and fellow contestants alike. Richard E. Grant responded with a string of laughing emojis in the comments, while fellow Faithful Joe Lycett wrote, "I adore you."
Fan Reaction and Future of The Celebrity Traitors
Richard’s immediate confession and subsequent banishment sparked widespread debate among viewers. Some questioned whether the early blunder altered the trajectory of the season. However, McNally quickly reassured anxious fans on social media, writing simply, "Trust me it has not!"
While McNally’s lie-detector instincts failed her regarding Richard, astute viewers pointed out that her suspicions regarding other players-such as Professor Hannah Fry-proved remarkably accurate. As The Celebrity Traitors continues on BBC One, contestants are left navigating shifting alliances and high-stakes psychological gameplay following the dramatic fallout of the series’ opening week.
