James Blunt says he tried to get banished from The Celebrity Traitors

James Blunt says he tried to get banished from *The Celebrity Traitors* but nobody voted him out or chose to murder him — a tactic that let him reach the final episode of the BBC series.

“We all get paid the same, whether you're there for day one or day 23,” the singer-songwriter told the BBC. He said he spent much of the time trying to leave, but found that keeping a low profile was “really boring”, so he went round proposing theories instead.

Blunt became known on the show for his outspoken approach at the round table. He says he helped expose traitor James Acaster in the penultimate episode, arguing that the TV edit did not show the full interrogation. Acaster later said the confrontation had taken him by surprise, but that he was glad the others caught him.

Blunt was eventually voted out after comedian Romesh Ranganathan suspected he was working with fellow traitor Maya Jama. He said he had been blindsided by the accusation, but added: “The ending was perfect. It had all the twists and turns. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.”

His exit came near the end of a series that concluded with Ranganathan and actor Sebastian “Bash” Croft winning the game and sharing an £83,000 prize between two refugee charities. Read our report on the final.

Blunt also suggested that joining the show helped promote his new album, *Airplane Mode*. Asked if that was the reason he signed up, he replied: “I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the latter.”