Daisy May Cooper and her brother Charlie have unexpectedly pulled out of the forthcoming series Celebrity Traitors, causing dismay among the production team as they rush to find last-minute replacements. A source intimate with the situation relayed that the stars of This Country withdrew from the competition two weeks ago, citing the challenge of being away from their young families as the reason.
Daisy, a mother of three aged 38, had baby Benji with her partner Anthony Huggins, 45, in June, joining siblings Pip, six, and Jack, three, from a previous relationship. Meanwhile, Charlie, aged 35, has two children with his spouse Leighanne.
The source revealed: “It’s caused producers a real headache as it’s so close to filming.”
The withdrawal is particularly impactful because Daisy and Charlie were expected to bring an exceptional onscreen chemistry to Celebrity Traitors. “They’d banked on Daisy and Charlie being TV gold so it’s disappointing they won’t be a part of the first Celebrity Traitors. They’re hilarious and brilliant on telly together – plus being brother and sister would have brought a really interesting element to the series.”
Presently, Daisy is appearing in the second series of her BBC comedy, Am I Being Unreasonable?, which also features her brother Charlie.
The duo became well-known for their hit mockumentary This Country, which provided a comedic glimpse into the everyday lives of young residents in rural Britain. With the new celebrity edition of The Traitors hosted by Claudia Winkleman soon to launch, BBC executives are keen to secure a family pair for the show.
The BBC was left in the lurch when Scottish tennis ace Sir Andy Murray, 37, and his mum Judy, 65, declined the offer, leading them to approach Daisy and Charlie instead. Now it’s back to square one for the BBC , reports the Mirror.
Mother and son duo Dianne and Ross Carson were standout contestants in the second civilian series last year. Celebs rumoured to have signed up for the beloved murder mystery show include Stephen Fry,Tom Daley, Clare Balding and Robert Peston.
Alan Carr,Jennifer Saunders and Paloma Faith are also potential participants.
Comedian Bob Mortimer has expressed his interest in appearing on the celebrity version of the show. The 65 year old confessed he’s a massive fan of the series and that producers should “definitely count him in”.
“It’s the only show of its kind on TV that I would agree to get involved with… I’d love to do it,” he declared.
Host Claudia meanwhile, admitted she’d struggle if a close friend was on the show. “I haven’t vetoed anyone, but it would be hard if a great friend did it,” she revealed.
Nearly 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the final episode of this year’s series of The Traitors last month, setting a new record for the largest audience in the programme’s history. The nail-biting game show saw Faithfuls Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley outsmart their fellow contestants to split a prize fund of £94,600.
A BBC spokesperson stated: “We don’t comment on speculation.”