EXCLUSIVE A source has claimed that ‘they’d banked on Daisy and Charlie being TV gold so it’s disappointing they won’t be a part of the first Celebrity Traitor’
Daisy May Cooper has pulled out of Celebrity Traitors, along with brother Charlie, weeks before filming starts. Their last-minute decision has left producers desperately scrambling to replace them.
A source close to Daisy told how the This Country star and her sibling quit the show two weeks ago, saying they couldn’t be away from their young families. Mum-of-three Daisy, 38, welcomed baby Benji with partner Anthony Huggins, 45, in June. She also has Pip, six, and Jack, three, from a previous relationship. Charlie, 35, has two children with his wife Leighanne.
A source said: “It’s caused producers a real headache as it’s so close to filming. 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.”
Daisy is currently on telly with the second series of her BBC comedy Am I Being Unreasonable?, which also features Charlie.
The pair rose to fame with their hit mockumentary This Country, a comedy about the lives of young people in modern-day rural Britain; focusing on Kerry and Kurtan, two cousins living in the Cotswolds.
BBC bosses have been desperate to bag a family duo for the first UK celebrity version of the show – fronted by Claudia Winkleman. They were left disappointed when Scottish tennis star Sir Andy Murray, 37, and his mum Judy, 65, turned down the opportunity, turning to Daisy and Charlie, it was reported. Now it’s back to the drawing board for the Beeb.
Mum and son Dianne and Ross Carson were memorable contestants in the second civilian series last year. Celebrities reported to have signed up to the much-loved murder mystery show include Stephen Fry, Tom Daley, Clare Balding and Robert Peston. Alan Carr, Jennifer Saunders and Paloma Faith are also names in the mix.
Comedian Bob Mortimer has said he’d love to star on the celebrity version of the show. The 65-year-old told how is a huge 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 said.
Presenter Claudia has admitted she’d find it tough if a pal happened to be on the show. “I haven’t vetoed anyone, but it would be hard if a great friend did it,” she explained.
Nearly 10 million people watched the final episode of this year’s series last month of The Traitors, setting a new record for the biggest audience in the programme’s history. The tense game show saw Faithfuls Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley outwit their fellow contestants to share a prize fund of £94,600.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
