Richard E. Grant followed his late wife's advice as he made his calamitous debut on Celebrity Traitors on Thursday night.

The actor, 69, was among the 21 stars to enter the Scottish castle for series two of the BBC's flagship show

Nominated as one of Claudia Winkleman's Traitors, alongside Love Island host Maya Jama, Richard has already made the biggest slip-up in Celebrity Traitors history.  

But minutes before his major mistake, the actor was revealing his happiness at fulfilling his beloved late wife Joan Washington's wishes.

Joan, a renowned stage and screen dialect coach, died in September 2021, eight months after she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. She and Richard had been married for 35 years at the time of her death and shared daughter Olivia, 35.

Richard, who has shared his journey with grief on his hugely popular Instagram account, relayed Joan's message to him as he revelled in his delight at being nominated a Traitor.

'My wife said to me four days before she died, "Richard, try and find a pocket full of happiness in each day" and I feel like I've got a wheelbarrow full and then some,' he gushed to camera.

Just minutes later though and Richard's unbridled joy meant he made the huge mistake of revealing his identity.

As Richard mingled with Faithful Joe Lycett in the lounge area, the comedian jumped straight in with the question: 'What are you?'

'A Traitor,' Richard responded with a huge grin on his face. 

Unsure what to believe, Joe said: 'I think you've just done something that has never happened in the game... bold strategy.'

Fans were left in hysterics with Richard's game plan and suggested on social media that Richard's slip-up was in fact carefully curated to call the comedian's bluff.

They wrote on X: 'Na he’s actually lost his head in the first 5 minutes bless him',

'If Richard double bluff works than fair play', 'half an hour in and i’ve decided richard is already a hall of fame traitors contestant #celebritytraitors #thetraitors',

'Richard being a traitor and then immediately telling everyone he’s a traitor',

Jerry Hall was quick to defend Richard after co-stars began to question if he was one of the Traitors.

'I just don't believe Richard is a Traitor,' she insisted. 'I know Richard, I've known him 30 years, and he's my neighbour. 

'He says and does eccentric things. He is an amazing guy, but he is acting out because he wasn't chosen.'

'That may be the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life', a despondent Richard said while contemplating his game tactics.  

He added: 'I was so thrilled to be picked as a Traitor but I clearly need to diffuse all the heat coming in my direction.'   

Richard recently shared that becoming a grandfather for the first time has taught him 'not to waste time on stuff', after his wife's death.

Five years on from her passing, Richard and Joan's daughter Olivia welcomed her baby boy.

Richard explained: 'I've felt that overwhelming thing that you're part of the cycle of life. You've gone through death and now there's a birth.

'I instantly thought, how many Christmases will I have to share with the grandchild? That's the thing that galvanises you — how many years of life you have left.'

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style Magazine, Richard added that he's begun to think 'forwardly' since the arrival of his grandson.

He added: 'A grandchild underlines your own mortality but that's a good thing because you don't waste time on stuff. You have a finite amount of time ahead of you.'