Carr also joked that “The list of Faithfuls is going down, but so’s my Christmas card list”, said of potential murder victim Fry “What’s a knighthood when you’re dead?”, quipped about Garraway that if she didn’t appear at breakfast, “People will just think she’s gone into a broom cupboard by mistake”, and, when tasking with doing another murder in plain sight, sighed: “I’ve always got to do the dirty work for these Traitors. I’m surprised they haven’t got me up in that turret with a hoover.”
But despite his protestations, he was especially impressive at carrying out those risky solo murders, first offing his bestie Paloma Faith by touching her face, then killing Imrie by toasting her with the Shakespeare quote, “Parting is such sweet sorrow” – and cannily attributing the flowery words to Fry.
Throughout the show, Carr ingeniously vacillated between endearing slapstick, such as shrieking as he wobbled across a precarious bridge, and shrewd, merciless gameplay. He knew exactly when to betray Ross, and he stayed quiet at the Round Tables until the latter stages, when he threw people under the bus with terrifying zeal.
Carr took particular pleasure in sowing chaos among the Faithful with their choice of victims, gleefully (and accurately) describing them as “headless chickens”. Later in the series, he admitted: “I was so nervous, and now I just love being a Traitor.”
So perhaps we shouldn’t be flabbergasted that it was Carr – not his excellent fellow Traitor Burns – who kept up the deception right to the end, outwitting the remaining Faithfuls and walking off with the entire prize pot.
Now he can parlay that victory into even more lucrative opportunities. Though he’s already a successful, highly paid comedian and presenter, we haven’t seen Carr fronting a chat show since he finished Channel 4’s Chatty Man in 2016 – it could be ripe for a grand return.
Or perhaps he’d prefer a glossy light-entertainment format. Rumours are swirling that the BBC has snapped him up for a new primetime celebrity quiz show, and that he has even filmed a top-secret pilot, plus the corporation has reportedly offered Carr a bumper overall deal.
That would make sense given that he has given the BBC its biggest hit of the year, plus he already presents competition show Interior Design Masters and quiz Picture Slam for the corporation. He has previously presented on Radio 2 as well – surely he’s in a shoo-in for a new, prestigious slot on the station, given how beloved he now is by pretty much all of Britain?
