Joe Marler says he thinks he was paid less than Celebrity Traitors co-stars after sharing salary

Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler has revealed how much he was paid for taking part in the series – adding that he thinks some of the other participants received more cash.

The England rugby star was one of the lesser-known celebrities in the line-up but Marler made his mark when his ‘Big Dog’ theory brought down Traitor Jonathan Ross. Having been labelled a “genius” Faithful by viewers, Marler made it to the final five but was cruelly denied a chance at prize pot after castle ally Nick Mohammed turned him on.

In a new interview with The Times, Marler addressed tabloid reports that each of the 19 celebrities who took part were paid £40,000. “Yeah, [my wife] Daisy read that too,” he explained. “She said to me, ‘Hold on, I thought you only got 30?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I did.’ So no, I don’t think everyone got paid the same.”

Adding that he is “not bothered” about some castmates potentially being paid more, Marler said: “It was 30 grand whether you lasted two days or three weeks — a no-brainer.”

The BBC declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.

The ex-England player’s comments come after the BBC confirmed a second season of Celebrity Traitors will air next year, following the huge success of the inaugural run. The series landed the BBC its biggest overnight ratings for an entertainment show since the final episode of Gavin & Stacey aired on Christmas Day last year.

When it comes to signing up famous faces to take part, bosses may well be spoilt for choice. Plenty of stars have already thrown their hats in the ring with the likes of Danny Dyer, Alison Hammond and even a member of the Royal Family revealing they’d like to give the game a go.

The final five with host Claudia Winkleman (BBC/Studio Lambert)

Going into last Thursday’s final, Marler was the only Faithful who had correctly identified Cat Burns and Alan Carr as the remaining Traitors but he failed in his mission to convince Mohammed and David Olusoga of his theory.

Mohammed’s decision to vote his friend out at the last-minute shocked viewers, and Marler himself. The rugby player previously said: “I was heartbroken. He didn’t stick to my plan and he went with his gut, which is a shame.” The decision meant Mohammed, Olusoga and Carr were the final three. After the trio voted to end the game, a tearful Carr revealed he had been a Traitor all along and stole the entire £87,500 prize for his chosen charity, Neuroblastoma UK.