An England rugby legend has reportedly signed on to join the cast of Celebrity Traitors, just weeks before filming is set to begin.
Former England prop Joe Marler, 34, who confirmed his retirement from international rugby in November, is set to take part in the BBC show.
It seems the sports star will be getting stuck into retirement and swapping the pitch for a scenic castle in the Highlands after allegedly joining the high-profile cast.
A source told The Sun: ‘Joe has officially signed his contract for Celebrity Traitors and can’t wait to get stuck in.’
They added: ‘Joe is a huge fan of The Traitors and the BBC loved him when they met him for an interview for the show.
‘He says he’s got his game plan all mapped out and thinks he can go all the way.’
An England rugby legend has reportedly signed on to join the cast of Celebrity Traitors, just weeks before filming is set to begin
Former England prop Joe Marler, 34, who confirmed his retirement from international rugby in November, is set to take part in the BBC show
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Joe and the BBC for comment.
Announcing his last rugby game last year, Joe, who has given 15 years of service to Quins and won two Premiership titles, said: ‘The time has come to finally jump off the rollercoaster and walk away from this beautifully brutal game.
‘On Friday night I’ll play my last ever match for Quins. After all these happy years, it’s over. The most important thing I want to say to our fantastic supporters is thank you.
‘Thank you for your patience and support when you could easily have turned your back on me, for the kindness you’ve shown, even when I haven’t deserved it, and for cheering my name even after I’d been banned again. I feel lucky to have pulled on the jersey worn by so many idols of mine and so many better players.
‘That’s an incredible thing to me. I’ll always be grateful to the club’s owners for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream.’
Loosehead prop Marler has been one of rugby’s most colourful characters both on and off the field.
He won three Six Nations titles with England and toured with the Lions in 2017.
And although Joe will be a great addition to Celebrity Traitors, it comes after the show reportedly suffered yet another huge blow after an ‘ITV legend pulled out of the game show last minute’.
Lorraine Kelly, 65, was allegedly in ‘secret talks’ with bosses after being ‘flattered’ when she was approached by producers.
It seems the sports star will be getting stuck into retirement and swapping the pitch for a scenic castle in the Highlands after allegedly joining the high-profile cast
He won three Six Nations titles with England and toured with the Lions in 2017
Lorraine Kelly, 65, was also allegedly in ‘secret talks’ with bosses after being ‘flattered’ when she was approached by producers
But sadly the presenter was forced to pull out after her busy schedule clashed with the filming for the show.
The hotly-anticipated celebrity version of the BBC show will see stars going head-to-head in the psychological game.
A source told The Sun: ‘BBC bosses were really keen to sign Lorraine Kelly up for Celebrity Traitors.
‘She loves the show and was super flattered to be asked, so she had a meeting with them which went really well.
‘Producers were hoping she would sign on the dotted line, but in the end, Lorraine couldn’t make it work with her schedule at the moment so had to pass.’
A spokesperson for The Traitors said: ‘The Traitors is a game that includes lies and deception, thus it would be foolhardy for any Faithful to speculate before the game has begun.’
It is also rumoured Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie had to quit the series over her commitments to her family.
Meanwhile, an EastEnders icon has been tipped for Celebrity Traitors with bookies revealing the big names that could be set to join game show.
Danny Dyer, 47, reportedly has 4/9 odds of taking part, while Stephen Fry has 1/3 odds, figures obtained by The Mirror from Gambling.com show.
EastEnders icon Danny Dyer has been tipped for Celebrity Traitors with bookies revealing the big names that could be set to join game show
Elsewhere, it is rumoured Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie had to quit the series over ‘schedule concerns’
The hotly-anticipated celebrity version of the BBC show will see stars going head-to-head in the psychological game (Host Claudia Winkleman pictured)
Other stars that could be set to join the cast include Clare Balding (4/6), Tom Daley (Evens), Ricky Gervais (11/10) and Jonathan Ross (11/8). Alan Carr, Jennifer Saunders and Paloma Faith.
Producers of the reality TV show were said to be desperate to bag the EastEnders star – but he has form for turning down such gigs.
Danny has repeatedly said no to reality TV stints, including for both ITV’s I’m A Celebrity and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
When the much-anticipated celebrity version of The Traitors films, the line-up will not feature any reality TV stars – despite the persistence of their agents.
The Mail on Sunday reported in December that the show has been inundated with requests to include less well-known names from shows such as The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island.
An industry source said the phones had been ‘ringing non-stop’ with agents trying to get their D-list clients a prime seat at The Traitors’ notorious Round Table – and the primetime exposure and publicity it would guarantee them.
But only bona fide celebrities and genuine household names will make the cut.
The source said: ‘The team behind The Traitors have never seen anything like it. Ever since the celebrity series was announced in the summer, the phones have been ringing non-stop with agents desperate to pitch their talent for the show.
‘But it has been made loud and clear that they only want high-profile household names and aren’t looking for the usual fodder from the reality TV circuit.’
The show, which is filmed at the atmospheric Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands and is hosted by Claudia Winkleman, splits the cast into Faithfuls and a small handful of Traitors.
The Traitors must conspire to eliminate the Faithfuls by ‘killing’ one every night – without being identified – to get their hands on a cash prize.
