MICHAEL SHEEN SAYS ACTING BACKGROUND IS A DISADVANTAGE ON TRAITORS

Michael Sheen has said his profession as an actor could count against him on The Celebrity Traitors, ahead of the show's 2026 series launch. Sheen is one of 21 celebrities competing in the series, alongside comedian Miranda Hart, presenter Amol Rajan, singer James Blunt and model Jerry Hall. Host Claudia Winkleman selects a number of Traitors from the cast, and the remaining Faithfuls must identify them before they are eliminated, or "murdered", in the game. Speaking ahead of the launch, Sheen said he believed being known as an actor put him at a "disadvantage" in the competition. He said other players would already be suspicious of him because of his profession.

Sheen said people might assume that because he "pretends for a living", he would find it easier to conceal his role in the game. He rejected that assumption, arguing that convincing acting requires a performer to believe what they are doing is genuine, rather than being consciously aware they are pretending. He said acting built on conscious deception amounts to "bad acting" and does not reflect how the craft actually works. Sheen added that, beyond concerns about his acting background, he was unsure how his public image would otherwise affect other contestants' views of him.

Sheen is known for portraying Sir Tony Blair in The Queen, The Deal and The Special Relationship, and has also appeared in Frost/Nixon, The Twilight Saga and Good Omens. He has received nominations for Olivier and Bafta awards during his career. The Celebrity Traitors is due to launch on Thursday, following the format in which Faithfuls attempt to unmask hidden Traitors at the roundtable. Winkleman returns as host for the celebrity edition, choosing which contestants take on the Traitor roles at the start of the series.