James Blunt has admitted his wife Sofia Wellesley was completely fooled about his Celebrity Traitors fate, as she genuinely believed he’d walked away victorious.
The 52-year-old singer managed to keep his mouth shut about the BBC show’s explosive outcome, despite his wife being convinced he’d scooped the prize.
Speaking to The Sun, James explained just how seriously he took the show’s secrecy rules.
Fans watched as James made it all the way to the final three of The Celebrity Traitors, only to be banished by Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft. The duo ultimately secured the £83,000 charity prize.
But Sofia had no idea her husband had been eliminated.
James confessed: “You’re not supposed to tell anyone anything. And I’ll tell you how good I was – my wife genuinely thought I’d won. I didn’t tell her the result. In fact, I told her nothing at all.”
Having signed a non-disclosure agreement, the singer wasn’t giving anything away. It wasn’t until Sofia tuned into the final months after filming that she finally learned what had happened.
Celebrity Traitors contestants face tough rules behind the scenes
Keeping spoilers under wraps is a huge part of The Celebrity Traitors, with stars required to stick to strict confidentiality agreements.
And it’s not just the results they’re expected to keep quiet about.
The BBC programme’s filming restrictions reportedly mean contestants have limited contact with the outside world. Phone calls are supervised, while social media and news are off limits.
Even cigarette breaks and drinking alcohol apparently come with restrictions. Anyone who breaches their confidentiality agreement could also face financial penalties.
James Blunt admits Celebrity Traitors left him shaking
While James managed to keep his elimination quiet, the experience itself wasn’t quite so easy to shake off.
The singer admitted the psychological pressure of filming took its toll, with the notoriously tense Round Table discussions proving especially challenging.
Before filming those scenes, producers reportedly played The Hanging Tree, the haunting song featuring Jennifer Lawrence’s vocals from The Hunger Games, to get contestants on edge.
And hearing the track again after leaving the castle brought everything flooding back.
James recalled: “Someone sent it to me afterwards and my wife said, ‘Wow, you’re quite traumatised by hearing that.’ I actually started sweating and shaking.”
His reaction certainly came as a surprise to Sofia.
James Blunt sets the record straight on Romesh Ranganathan feud rumours
Despite Romesh playing a part in ending his Celebrity Traitors journey, James has insisted there’s no bad blood between them.
Addressing speculation about a possible falling-out during an appearance on Hits Radio, the singer made it clear the pair were on good terms.
He also revealed Romesh had made a donation to the Blue Marine Foundation, the charity James had hoped to support with his winnings.
James’s elimination meant his chosen cause lost out on the show’s prize fund.
Instead, winners Romesh and Sebastian agreed to share the £83,000 between their respective charities, Choose Love and the Refugee Council.
So while James didn’t get the result Sofia had been expecting, it seems there are no hard feelings towards the stars who sent him packing.
Celebrity Traitors is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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