If you’ve been watching The Celebrity Traitors, you’ve probably noticed that the celebs always seem to have a drink in hand — plotting over wine, whispering over whisky, and generally giving the impression that life at the castle is one long boozy murder mystery. But according to one of the show’s latest victims, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as the alcohol rules are actually pretty strict.
Credit: BBC
Ruth Codd, the 29-year-old Irish actress best known for The Midnight Club, has revealed that producers kept an extremely close eye on alcohol intake during filming.
She told The Sunday Times: “They’re very strict on alcohol. It’s not boozy at all. You’re allowed two drinks at night.”
That might come as a shock to anyone watching Alan Carr pour what seems like his fifth glass of rosé on screen, but Ruth insists that the castle wasn’t the wild party it appears to be. The celebs — who were each reportedly paid a flat fee of £40,000 to take part — were under near-constant supervision. Staying in a nearby hotel, they weren’t allowed to mingle freely, speak to each other off-camera, or even go for a walk without a chaperone from the production team.
Credit: BBC
“You don’t have a phone, you don’t have a TV, you’ve no idea what’s going on in the outside world,” Ruth said. “So it’s all you’re thinking about.”
Even simple things like popping out for a cigarette required an escort. And while the show’s lavish dinners look indulgent on TV, Ruth was less than impressed with the catering: “The food is diabolical. It looks good, but those croissants could be used as weapons of mass destruction. They’re that hard.”
Despite the tough conditions and lack of wine, Ruth still managed to form genuine bonds, particularly with Clare Balding.
“She knows her own mind,” Ruth said, adding that being newer to the industry made her feel at a disadvantage among the famous cast.
So while it may look like Celebrity Traitors is all champagne and scheming, the truth is far more sober — literally.
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Featured image credit: BBC
