While fans across the US wait, albeit impatiently, for the highly anticipated premiere of “The Traitors” Season 4 in early 2026, the UK’s “Celebrity Traitors” has provided plenty of the franchise’s classic cloak-and-dagger drama since it premiered earlier this month.
The star-studded season differs from the UK spin-off’s typical civilian casts, featuring the likes of comedian and “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” judge Alan Carr, star of Netflix’s “Fall of the House of Usher” Ruth Codd, legendary actor and author Stephen Fry, and Olympic athlete Tom Daley amongst others.
Actress Miriam Margolyes, known for her role as Professor Pamona Sprout in the best-selling “Harry Potter” films, was similarly offered a spot on the cast, but ultimately turned down the opportunity.
Miriam Margolyes Reveals Why She Turned Down ‘Traitors’ Offer
According to Metro, Margolyes opened up about the offer to compete on the murder-mystery competition series during an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, telling fans, “I was offered this job just recently – and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less.”
(Photo by Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)While Margolyes conceded that there are some “jolly good people” on the line-up of the currently-airing season, she revealed that she’s never watched “The Traitors,” adding, “I don’t intend to watch it.”
Margolyes was not the only UK-based star who turned down the opportunity to appear on “Celebrity Traitors” however. “The Apprentice” star Karren Brady, daytime TV icon Martin Lewis and Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher were similarly approached for the season, declining for a variety of reasons including scheduling difficulties.
Margolyes Taking Step Back From Acting to Focus on Health
While Margolyes reported that she turned down the offer due to lack of interest, the news comes after the 84-year-old actress revealed that she’s taking a step away from acting to focus on her health.
“When you know that you haven’t got long to live…I’m loath to leave behind performing,” Margolyes said in an August 2025 interview with the Daily Mail’s “Weekend Magazine”.
“[Performing] is such a joy,” she continued. “I year to play roles that don’t confine me to wheelchairs, but I’m just not strong enough.”
While Margolyes’ humor and legacy would be enough to make her a welcome addition to any “Traitors” season, her 2023 heart surgery, coupled with difficulties caused by spinal stenosis, arthritis and rheumatism, would make competing in the series high-octane challenges increasingly difficult.
Despite being primarily known for her role in the “Harry Potter” films, Margolyes has been acting since the 1960s and has more than 200 acting credits to her name to date. Most notably, the actress earned a BAFTA Award for her role in “The Age of Innocence,” but has similarly appeared in films like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Balto,” as well as television series like “Doctor Who” and “Call the Midwife.”
