Former BBC presenter Amol Rajan has become the first contestant to be murdered on television show Celebrity Traitors. The broadcaster departed the record-breaking series in its opening stage after his game plan failed to keep him safe from elimination.
Insiders say the former host of the prestigious BBC Radio 4 Today programme was so confident of success on the reality competition that he resigned from his £320,000-a-year job at the public broadcaster, expecting to become a social media superstar following his appearance.
Celebrity Traitors, a celebrity edition of the BBC reality series where contestants attempt to uncover hidden traitors among them, is currently attracting nine million viewers. During his brief time on the program, Rajan had to go head-to-head with comedian James Acaster before being targeted for early removal.
Game plan failure on reality show
Rajan had devised what he believed was a devious masterplan not only to shine on the show but also to secure overall victory. However, his strategy proved misconceived as fellow contestants voted to eliminate him at the first opportunity.
Reflecting on his brief appearance, Rajan said: "It's hard not to watch it and think, obviously with 20/20 hindsight, I played the wrong game and blew a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." He summed up his time on the show as a "blessed, brutal and unforgettable appearance."
Born in Calcutta, Rajan moved to Britain at three years old and was raised in Tooting, a district in south London. He later attended the University of Cambridge, where his supreme self-confidence helped launch his broadcasting career. Friends even nicknamed him "Amyl Nitrite" after the stimulant drug.
Resignation and commercial ventures
Ahead of his television appearance, Rajan trademarked a new company and website called The Amol Rajan Connection during the summer. The trademark registration covers a wide range of potential retail goods, including kitchenware, glass, porcelain and his signature Aviator sunglasses, a style famously associated with actor Tom Cruise.
Rajan maintains a YouTube website alongside an Instagram account with approximately 158,000 followers. Under his commercial venture, sign-ups for The Amol Rajan Collection offer a top tier lifetime membership priced at £999. The package promises access to events such as a "Pina Colada" experience, events starring Rajan, and the potential opportunity to purchase his signature sheepskin jacket.
Rajan's online following remains significantly smaller than other prominent British broadcasters. Television presenter Piers Morgan holds around three million Instagram followers, while former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson commands more than 11 million followers on the platform.
Clash over royal documentary
Journalist and columnist Amanda Platell has detailed a long-standing personal history with Rajan dating back to 2021. When they first met, Platell questioned why Rajan wore prominent jewelry, including large fake diamond earrings in each ear, a gold necklace and matching bracelets. Rajan tearfully described the items as a comfort blanket signifying how far he had come from his childhood in Calcutta.
In 2021, Rajan invited Platell to participate in a BBC-backed documentary about Prince William and Prince Harry titled The Princes And The Press. Rajan assured her that the programme would deliver a fair and balanced appraisal of media coverage surrounding the Royal Family following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
However, after undergoing a two-hour interview, Platell found her contribution reduced to less than two minutes focusing exclusively on columns critical of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. None of her articles expressing support for the Sussexes were included in the final broadcast.
The documentary featured unchallenged contributions from Meghan's then-lawyer Jenny Afia, speaking with the Duchess's approval about alleged mistreatment, as well as biographer Omid Scobie. The Royal Family was so incensed by the programme's perceived bias that they threatened a complete boycott of future dealings with the BBC. Platell subsequently published a critical column headlined: "How the BBC's golden boy Amol Rajan conned me into a royal hatchet job."
Reactions to television departure
When Platell previously requested to review her interview footage six months after recording, Rajan turned down the request, stating: "Alas, impossible to share: we are still working on the programme. I'm so sorry as always want to be fair."
News of Rajan's early exit from Celebrity Traitors triggered celebration among his critics. Platell reported that her six-member fan club cheered from her north London home upon watching his demise. An industry insider confirmed that several former colleagues reacted similarly, stating: "There are a lot of people who worked with Amol over the years having a little giggle at his early exit."
