In a raw and revealing interview, former England rugby powerhouse Joe Marler has pulled back the curtain on his whirlwind experience on the hit show Celebrity Traitors, sharing jaw-dropping details about his earnings, the intense emotional toll, and a heartbreaking moment that nearly saw him storm off set.
The 35-year-old rugby legend emerged as the breakout star among the faithfuls, masterminding the elimination of traitor Jonathan Ross and skillfully unmasking singer Car Burns and comedian Alan Carr as the final villains. Joined by fellow finalists Burns, Carr, actor Nick Mohammed, and historian David Olusoga, Marler led the charge in a series that gripped millions over two nail-biting months. But in a devastating twist, he couldn’t sway his allies in the endgame—getting banished at the final hurdle, allowing Carr to snatch the £87,500 prize for charity Neuroblastoma UK.
Yet, the drama didn’t end with the cameras. Marler spilled the beans to The Times about the stars’ secret paychecks, debunking rumors and exposing the unequal payouts. “Daisy [his wife] read that too [that he got paid £40,000]. She said to me, ‘Hold on, I thought you only got 30?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I did’,” he confessed. “I don’t think everyone got paid the same. But I’m not bothered. It was 30 grand whether you lasted two days or three weeks—a no-brainer.” This candid admission highlights the behind-the-scenes realities of celebrity reality TV, where fame doesn’t always equal fortune.
But the real gut-punch came from Marler’s emotional confession about nearly quitting mid-filming due to a devastating family tragedy. Accustomed to grueling rugby tours that kept him away from home, the isolation hit differently when his wife’s nan passed away during production. “The producers already knew she was terminally ill, so I went to them and said, ‘That’s me done’,” he recounted, his voice heavy with the weight of the moment. Ready to pack his bags and head home, Marler was stopped by a call from Daisy: “Look, there’s not a lot you can do right now, so just stay up there until you get kicked out.”
That heartbreaking pivot became a turning point. “That was the moment that I was like, ‘Right, I’ve had enough of this impostor syndrome. I’m gonna ramp it up, go hell for leather and if I get banished or murdered, it’s a win, I can go home’,” he explained. Fueled by grief and determination, Marler powered through, transforming from underdog to fan-favorite hero.
Adding to the intrigue, Marler admitted he flew under the radar at first—most contestants didn’t even recognize him. “The majority didn’t know who I was. Most of them thought I was a production guy lugging stuff around,” he laughed. “That played in my favor. I’d heard of all of them except Niko [Omilana], David, and Ruth [Codd]. In celebrity terms, I was out of my depth. And then, when they did get to know me a bit, they thought I was weird.” Only Jonathan Ross, Clare Balding, and Joe Wilkinson knew of his rugby stardom, while Marler himself was unfamiliar with Olusoga—the very ally he failed to convince in those tense final minutes.
Despite the setbacks, Marler’s resilience shone through, earning him cult status among viewers. Now, with whispers of a major BBC role on the horizon, his post-rugby life could be exploding into the spotlight. From the rugby pitch to prime-time TV, Joe Marler’s story is one of grit, grief, and unexpected glory—proving that sometimes, the real battles happen off-screen.