James Nesbitt confirms he's been asked to appear on the second series of Celebrity Traitors - and reveals the unexpected reason why he turned it down
James Nesbitt has confirmed he's been asked to appear on the second series of The Celebrity Traitors - but turned the opportunity down. The Irish actor plays Simon Greene in new crime drama Run Away, the latest Harlan Coben best-seller to be adapted by streaming giant Netflix. But the detective skills he puts to good use while tracing his missing daughter on the eight part show will not be dusted off when The Celebrity Traitors airs later this year. The actor, 60, confirmed he'd been approached while appearing on Tuesday morning's instalment of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, after Evans revealed he too had been asked. However, Nesbitt surprised listeners by admitting he was 'too scared' to do it. 'And how do you follow it?' he added. 'It's like following [former Manchester United manager] Alex Ferguson.' James Nesbitt has confirmed he's been asked to appear on the second series of The Celebrity Traitors - but turned the opportunity down The first celebrity version of the hit game show pulled in an average 13 million viewers an episode, becoming one of the BBC's biggest commercial successes of the yearThe first celebrity version of the hit game show pulled in an average 13 million viewers an episode, becoming one of the biggest commercial successes of the year for the BBC when it aired in October.And Nesbitt says the undeniable success of the debut series made him reluctant to throw his hat into the ring, in case it didn't have the same impact. He recalled: 'When I was asked, because I was in at the BBC, and I went, "Oh, sounds amazing". 'Then I spoke to my agent and he said no. Because I just thought, "how do I follow that?" It was so brilliant.' Evans suggested his day job as an actor might also be a hindrance, because 'if you got found out, you'd never work again'.suggested his role as an actor would be a stumbling block, admitting the prospect of being cast as a traitor, in case he was found out might affect his career. 'Exactly. Do you know what, that unquestionably crossed my mind,' replied Nesbitt. 'I would, that was the first thing that crossed my mind. ‘That could finish my career. He’s rubbish.’ The actor confirmed he'd been approached while appearing on Tuesday morning's instalment of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, after Evans revealed he too had been asked The Irish actor plays Simon Greene in new crime drama Run Away, the latest Harlan Coben best-seller to be adapted by streaming giant Netflix While Nesbitt has ruled himself out, BBC casting directors have been put on red alert after Tom Hiddleston suggested he would be open to an appearance on the next series The first celebrity version of the hit game show pulled in an average 13 million viewers an episode, becoming one of the biggest commercial successes of the year for the BBC While Nesbitt has ruled himself out, BBC casting directors have been put on red alert after Tom Hiddleston suggested he would be open to an appearance on the next series.Discussing The Traitors while promoting the new series of The Night Manager on BBC Radio 2, he said: 'I mean the celebrity one would be amazing. I think the whole show, the format is just the most ingenious thing, isn't it? It's completely compulsive. Maybe the best television I've ever seen.'The latest series launched on New Year's Day with almost every contestant keen on becoming a traitor, but Hiddleston, 44, believes it would be more interesting to stay faithful.He said: 'I'd like to be a faithful because then you can play detective, right? And you know that your conscience is clean and your heart is pure, and you're just watching and trying to figure people out.'If you're a traitor it's more of an acting exercise, right? It's a game, you have to keep deceiving and cloaking and dissembling and basically lying to people.'It would be interesting though. I don't know, I think being a faithful would be more of a curiosity scratcher somehow.'Listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery on Virgin Radio UK, weekdays from 6:30am.
