Celebrity Traitors bosses are reportedly in talks to sign soap legend Danny Dyer for the upcoming star-studded series.
Producers of the reality TV show are said to be desperate to bag the EastEnders star – but he has form for turning down such gigs.
Danny, 47, has repeatedly said no to reality TV stints, including for both ITV’s I’m A Celebrity and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
But bosses on Claudia Winkleman’s iconic series, which is set to film a celebrity version in spring, are holding out hope they can get Danny to sign on the dotted line.
A source told The Sun: ‘Danny Dyer is a reality TV booker’s dream signing but for years has turned down every offer.
‘He’s a huge character who effortlessly creates telly magic without even trying, so Traitors bosses have been pursuing Danny hard.
Celebrity Traitors bosses are reportedly in talks to sign soap legend Danny Dyer for the upcoming star-studded series
Producers of the reality TV show are said to be desperate to bag the EastEnders star – but he has form for turning down such gigs
‘They’re doing everything they can to get the deal over the line.’
If Danny was to say yes, he would just the already confirmed star-studded cast of national treasures including Stephen Fry, Clare Balding and Olympic diving champion Tom Daley.
Speaking about his feelings towards reality TV, Danny recently said of I’m A Celeb: ‘I understand why some people do it, because they need their profile raised, or some have got a big tax bill.
‘But I’ve never quite understood why I would want to let Ant and Dec take the p*** out of me for f***ing three weeks.’
When the much-anticipated celebrity version of The Traitors films in the New Year, the line-up will not feature any reality TV stars – despite the persistence of their agents.
The Mail on Sunday reported earlier this month that the show has been inundated with requests to include less well-known names from shows such as The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island.
An industry source said the phones had been ‘ringing non-stop’ with agents trying to get their D-list clients a prime seat at The Traitors’ notorious Round Table – and the primetime exposure and publicity it would guarantee them.
But only bona fide celebrities and genuine household names will make the cut.
Danny, 47, has repeatedly said no to reality TV stints, including for both ITV’s I’m A Celebrity and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing
But bosses on Claudia Winkleman’s iconic series, which is set to film a celebrity version in spring, are holding out hope they can get Danny to sign on the dotted line
Speaking about his feelings towards reality TV, Danny recently said of I’m A Celeb: ‘I understand why some people do it, because they need their profile raised, or some have got a big tax bill
The source said: ‘The team behind The Traitors have never seen anything like it. Ever since the celebrity series was announced in the summer, the phones have been ringing non-stop with agents desperate to pitch their talent for the show.
‘But it has been made loud and clear that they only want high-profile household names and aren’t looking for the usual fodder from the reality TV circuit.’
The show, which is filmed at the atmospheric Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands and is hosted by Claudia Winkleman, splits the cast into Faithfuls and a small handful of Traitors.
The Traitors must conspire to eliminate the Faithfuls by ‘killing’ one every night – without being identified – to get their hands on a cash prize.
The second series, which aired last January, attracted four million viewers a night.
They watched British Army engineer Harry Clark – one of the Traitors – successfully dupe his fellow contestants and walk away with the entire £95,150 prize pot.
The show, which is filmed at the atmospheric Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, is hosted by Claudia Winkleman, and splits the cast into Faithfuls and a small handful of Traitors
The Mail on Sunday understands that the show has already confirmed a star-studded cast of national treasures including Stephen Fry
Only bona fide celebrities and genuine household names, such as Jennifer Saunders, will make the cut
The third series launches early next year. The celebrity edition was announced in the summer, with Ms Winkleman carefully involved in the casting decisions.
A source said: ‘Claudia absolutely loves The Traitors. She’s passionate about the celebrity version and wants the best cast possible.’
The US version of the show, presented by Scottish actor Alan Cumming, contained a mix of reality TV show contestants and ordinary people. The BBC said it will broadcast the celebrity version of The Traitors next year.
A spokesman said of the casting: ‘The Traitors is a game that includes lies and deception, thus it would be foolhardy for any Faithful to speculate before the game has begun.’
