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Scottish actor Mark Bonnar is one of the cast of the UK’s first-ever series of Celebrity Traitors. Mark previously admitted that it is hard for him to be apart from his family while on set

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Mark Bonnar has landed standout roles in Shetland, Line of Duty, Guilt, and is now taking on a completely new challenge with The Celebrity Traitors.

But away from the cameras, the Scottish actor enjoys a quieter life with his wife, actress Lucy Gaskell, and their two children. The couple have been together for over two decades, after meeting in 2003 while appearing in a stage production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard.

They went on to get married four years later, in December 2007. Lucy, 44, is well known to TV audiences in her own right. She has starred in several hit British dramas including Cutting It, Casualty, Being Human, Waking the Dead, DCI Banks and even Doctor Who.

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Fans of the BBC medical series may remember that both Lucy and Mark have appeared on Casualty, though at different times.

While on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast in 2023, Mark reflected fondly on their marriage, sharing: “It was our 15-year wedding anniversary [in] December. I couldn’t believe it was 15 years we were celebrating because I’m still filled with love when I look at her, you know, which is a wonderful thing to feel.”

He continued: “She’s really kind of taught me a lot about life and about love and care and commitment.” The couple share two children — Martha, 13, and Samuel, nine.

Family life clearly means a lot to Mark. He has spoken about his parenting philosophy, explaining: “[Having kids] was late in the day for me. I met Lucy when I was in my mid-30s and we had eight years before we had children.

“My parents always said to me: ‘If you’re happy, we’re happy,’ and I’m going to try to do the same with my kids. As a parent, your children’s happiness is the most important thing.”

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On a sadder note, he added: “I don’t like being away from home. I need to be with my family… because I miss it. Even if you’re away for like four or five days, you still get back and think there’s little changes you can see… and you go… ‘I missed that.’”

Although it was likely tough for Mark to spend a few weeks away from his kids while in Ardross Castle, he was also enormously excited by the prospect of taking on The Celebrity Traitors.

Ahead of filming, he told the BBC: “I was thrilled to be asked, to be honest with you. I’m a fan of the show. It’s one of the few things that we watch as a family.”

He admitted that the reality series is “way out my comfort zone” but insisted that was one of the reasons he wanted to star in it, as he likes to challenge himself with new roles.

The actor also joked: “I’ve got a terrible memory. I’m worried that I’m going to forget a lot or not catch some things. That means I have to work hard on not being gullible if evil masterminds try to sway me! I’m hoping it’ll be fun.”

His poor memory left him hoping he would be chosen as one of the Faithfuls as he felt being a Traitor might be too hard for his “wee brain”, and thankfully his wish has been fulfilled — at least so far.

Clare Balding, back on the BBC this week for Celebrity Traitors, uncovered a long-hidden family scandal when she delved into her ancestry for Who Do You Think You Are?

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Sports broadcaster Clare Balding has opened up about the shifting attitudes that caused “a huge amount of shame” for her relatives in previous generations.

Whilst Clare’s wife, former Radio 4 presenter Alice Arnold, has been embraced warmly by her relatives, the sexual orientation of her great-grandfather – Merseyside MP Sir Malcolm Bullock – had to remain concealed throughout his life.

Sir Malcolm maintained a close friendship with Sir Philip Sassoon, who was renowned for his exclusive gatherings where homosexual men could be relatively free to be themselves during an era when same-sex relationships remained criminalised in Britain.

Clare – who is presently appearing on the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors – revealed to The Times: “My grandmother wasn’t very happy when I told her about my sexuality, but eight years ago I found out why that might have been.

“Filming an episode of the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? I discovered her father, the MP Sir Malcolm Bullock, was gay. Homosexuality was illegal in his day and it must have caused my grandmother a huge amount of shame.”

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During the BBC programme, Clare uncovered that Sir Malcolm, who received the Legion D’Honneur for his exceptional diplomatic service, belonged to an exclusive social set that featured the likes of Evelyn Waugh, Nancy Mitford and John Gielgud.

Evidence of a likely romantic liaison between Sir Malcolm and the painter and theatrical costume designer Rex Whistler, who tragically lost his life during the D-Day offensive in 1944, was unearthed.

The pair were known to dine together frequently and even embarked on a trip to Paris together.

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However, no love letters between the two men have survived, as such potentially damning evidence would almost certainly have been destroyed given the societal attitudes of the time.

Sir Malcolm had tied the knot with Lady Victoria Primrose, daughter of Edward Stanley, the 17th Earl of Derby, back in 1919, and they had one child together – Clare’s grandmother.

Clare commented: “The world has changed a lot since my grandmother’s era and I think the success of women’s sport has helped that.”

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Clare herself shone in the equestrian world: “I was the Champion Lady Rider in 1990 but it was hard as a jockey because I’m not light. I had to battle to get below 10st, so it was a struggle to totally enjoy my racing.”

Her father, the highly successful racehorse trainer Ian Balding, was tough on Clare during her formative years: “I was a disappointment from the minute I popped out,” she penned, explaining that her father had been hoping for a boy.”

After she began riding competitively, her father kept a close eye on her weight, once telling her: “You’ve got porky. Lose it.”

His reaction to Clare finishing a very close second in her first major flat race was: “You should have bloody won. What the hell were you doing?”.

Clare recalls that her father has softened a bit since those challenging times, particularly during her fight with thyroid cancer: “Mum and Alice became very close when I was ill, and Dad absolutely adores her too.”

Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Traitors host Claudia Winkleman opened up about long-term health problems that have left her “falling apart”

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Claudia Winkleman has revealed why she can’t stand up straight. The TV presenter, who is hosting the first ever Celebrity Traitors after the storming success of the original, candidly spoke about the long-term health issues she suffers from, earlier this year.

The presenter went as far to say that the problems she faces has left her feeling like she’s “falling apart”.

Discussing her posture, Claudia said that her stance has always been “like a turtle”. Elaborating further in a chat with Gabby Logan on The Mid.Point podcast, The Traitors host said she was finally working on correcting her posture with the help of a trainer.

“My body is made entirely of crepe,” she shared. “[I’m] falling apart. I’ve got a bad back and I need some form of strength. You know what I mean? I’ve got my core.

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“They talked to me about parts of my body. They said, ‘The problem is you’ve never used your lats’.

“I was like, ‘What is that?’. Apparently, so my shoulders are up by my neck. I’m always like (demonstrates her posture).

“And I don’t like the look of people standing up straight. It feels somehow cocky, so my stance has always been like a turtle.”

‘Lats’ is short for the latissimus dorsi muscle, one of the largest muscles in the back. Pilates can help improve major muscle groups, posture, flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness.

Claudia continued: “I’ve now got so many backbones. So I go to Pilates and they try and open me up.

“When they do open me up and I sit or stand like I’m supposed to, like that, I mean, it feels alien.” In the same podcast, Claudia also gave an update on her long-standing eye condition.

The Strictly Come Dancing presenter has also been open about her battle with myopia.

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According to the NHS this is defined as a common condition that causes distant objects to appear blurred, but it can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Also known as short-sightedness, Claudia opened up about her battles with the condition.

She admitted it’s led to blunders like bumping into walls and struggles with driving and reading. Despite undergoing two eye surgeries, she still grapples with challenges.

Although she battles particularly when it comes to reading, thankfully she has glasses specifically designed for her needs.

She shared: “Because I was so short-sighted, by them fixing it, I’m not long-sighted, so I can’t really read anymore. I can with glasses, I’ve got 2.5.”

Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed is one of the famous faces trying to track down swindling stars on Celebrity Traitors…

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Celebrity Traitors star Nick Mohammed made an instant impact on the BBC hit from the get-go, easily solving a fiendishly difficult puzzle in the manner of a man who does five Rubik’s Cubes before breakfast.

Fans of his character Mr Swallow might not be surprised – the comic character is able to memorise a pack of playing cards and Ted Lasso star Nick has said the maths and recall stunts he does are “real and legit” explaining that he learnt them himself.

“My eldest son has an eidetic memory, which is essentially photographic, but mine is good too,” he told the Sunday Post in 2023, speaking about the feats that have gone viral after appearances on the likes of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown that left Rob Beckett and Jimmy Carr speechless.

Nick, 45, who was the scheming Nathan in Ted Lasso, studied Geophysics – essentially a study of the Earth – at Durham, having turned down the chance to attend the equally-prestigious University of Cambridge, and played violin in the orchestra. He paid his way through university doing magic at summer balls, parties and weddings.

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The funnyman doesn’t say much about his private life, but it is known that he met his wife Becka, who is a teacher, way back in his student days at Durham. The couple tied the knot in 2014, with Nick announcing: “Got married last weekend, this is my niece’s impression of the events,” before adding: “WHAT IS GOING ON NEAR MY WIFE’S CROTCH?””

They have three children together, and their eldest, Finn, appeared alongside him on an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. In an interview with The Guardian, Nick was asked about the ‘funniest person’ he knows. In a heartwarming reply, he said: “My wife. Pretty much every day she’ll say something that makes me roar with laughter (which I’ll then secretly write down).”

During his time at Durham, Nick and Becka performed together in the orchestra, though he didn’t make it into the Durham Revue, so he explored the comedy circuit before moving on to study at Cambridge. There, he became part of their renowned Footlights troupe.

It was at this point that he created Mr Swallow, basing the character on his secondary school English teacher. Nick’s alter-ego has brought him considerable success, and he has refined it across stage and screen throughout the years. Additional television recognition came through regular roles in Sorry, I’ve Got No Head, Drifters and Cuckoo.

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However, it was Ted Lasso that catapulted him to worldwide stardom, where he appeared alongside the likes of Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis in the Apple+ comedy. When discussing the possibility of another series, he commented: “Everyone has said if there’s an idea that feels good, we would be all up for it. I would personally go back in a heartbeat!”.

Despite not pursuing music as his primary career, he has still managed to indulge in his love for it. Last year, he hosted the BBC Proms, and fans of Ted Lasso will remember that, portraying his character Nathan Shelley, he genuinely played the violin as the scriptwriters incorporated his particular talent into the storyline.

At the time, he explained that his wife also played a role, saying: “This ep of Ted Lasso is special for lots of reasons… but mostly because it’s my *incredible* wife playing the piano to Arvo Pärt’s ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ with me on my old violin from home. The piece was Jason’s idea: literally translates as ‘mirror in mirror.”

Before going into Celebrity Traitors – where he has been picked as a Faithful – he admitted he didn’t have a game plan, saying: “I think I’ll just try and be quite easy breezy in the first instance. Because, you know, people are going to go right from the off.

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“A little further down the line you can maybe start considering strategy – and it also depends on whether I’m made a Traitor or a Faithful. There’s a certain thrill of being made a Traitor, of course. In conversation with BeyondTheJoke, he continued: “If I’m a Faithful, I’ll have that constant worry each night whether I’ll be murdered.

“You can of course be discovered and banished as a Traitor, but I feel that in the first instance, you’re in a little bit more control. So, I would enjoy that element to a degree and I’d love to make the final. That said, I’ve got lovely family at home, so it’s sort of a win, win. When my time is up, I get to go back home and see them!”

However, Nick has one genuine concern about the whole situation. He confessed: “My problem is I do find things very funny, and a lot of people who I’ve worked with will testify that I do often get the giggles. My biggest worry is the moment when the blindfolds are taken off at the start.

Because irrespective of whether I’ve been made a Traitor or a Faithful, I’ll struggle not to smile. So that is a real, genuine worry.”

The Beta Squad YouTuber managed to sneak into the ring for KSI’s fight – and has stood for election several times…

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Celebrity Traitors star Niko Omilana’s appearance left older viewers frantically Googling who he is – but their teenage kids will have spotted him straight away. Niko is part of the British YouTube team Beta Squad and, as his co-stars in the castle wasted no time pointing out, he’s a master of deception through his meticulously-planned stunts.

The 27-year-old, who has more than 8million subscribers on YouTube, has targeted everyone from fellow social star KSI to former prime minister Rishi Sunak. Here we look at some of his most high-profile stunts where the Soccer Aid player’s talents for deception got put to work…

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Infiltrating KSI’s fight

Niko had been banned from Matchroom Boxing events after blagging his way into KSI’s two fights with Logan Paul and Jake Paul’s professional debut. However, he managed to neatly side-step the ban – by turning up dressed up as a giant bottle of Prime Energy.

Using a seven-foot Prime bottle costume and leveraging his fellow content creator Kysha’s connection with KSI, YouTube prankster Niko hatched a plan. He tasked Kysha with securing him an O2 Arena wristband which granted him VIP access to the venue and he even went backstage and greeted KSI.

At the time it was time for the Celebrity Traitors star to enter the arena, he donned him Prime Energy drink bottle disguise and led KSI to the ring for his first fight of the night totally unnoticed. But as KSI was introduced to the crowd, he removed the front of his costume and smiled to the millions of people watching.

After his knockout victory over Swarmz, KSI was left gobsmacked when the Traitors star revealed himself, telling him: “Fair play Niko, you absolute d***head. Unbelievable, I thought it was the other guy, the other YouTuber. He didn’t say a word. I just thought he’s acting a bit weird, maybe he’s shy or scared to meet me. As soon as Niko popped out his head, I knew he’d played me.”

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Trolling Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak had a punishing Election night, when a landslide Labour triumph swept away many Tory MPs. So he probably didn’t need to be mocked during his speech by Niko, who was standing behind him holding up a printed piece of paper bearing the letter ‘L’. And when the cameras moved to block Niko’s embarrassing prop, the prankster moved too.

Niko stood as an independent candidate in Sunak’s Richmond, Yorkshire seat, which the outgoing PM managed to hold with a reduced majority of 23,059. Niko, on the other hand, won a mere 160 votes – fewer than 308 racked up by Count Binface, who was also standing.

He fared better in the 2010 London mayoral elections, where he got nearly 50,000 votes with his policies of turning branches of McDonald’s with broken McFlurry machines into social housing and removing racists’ teeth. The tally made him the best-performing independent candidate, ahead of the likes of Laurence Fox.

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Undercover at Robinson rally

Niko’s latest prank came just last month when he turned up at Unite The Kingdom, the London rally organised by Tommy Robinson, dressed as an old white man called Ron Side – a similar stunt to the one that went viral in 2018 and catapulted him to fame.

Aiming to expose the racist views of attendees, he interviewed members of the public for a video that saw him branded “one of the bravest people alive”.

He said afterwards that not everyone who attended the march was a racist but that “it’s clear a lot of racists feel very comfortable being involved”.