Amol Rajan’s early exit from Celebrity Traitors has been described by an associate as a potential “disaster” for the former BBC presenter’s planned YouTube venture.
Rajan, 43, was the first celebrity to be “murdered” on the reality show after traitors Richard E Grant and Maya Jama recruited comedian James Acaster instead of him.
The University Challenge host had reportedly hoped that remaining on the programme would help build an audience for The Amol Rajan Connection, a new website and YouTube channel launched after he left his £320,000-a-year role presenting Radio 4’s Today programme.
He is seeking subscriptions ranging up to £999 for a top-tier lifetime membership. The “Pina Colada” package is also set to include access to events, while Rajan has been promoting the venture on TikTok in an attempt to reach a younger audience.
An associate said: “It was all perfectly lined up by Amol, who is a very clever guy who doesn’t miss a trick.”
They added: “He signed for Traitors, left the BBC and started putting his YouTube project out there. It should have all been so good but he lasted just one episode.
“It has screwed the plan and it is devastating for him.”
The associate claimed that people who had worked with Rajan were amused by his early departure, saying: “There are a lot of people who have worked with Amol over the years who are having a little giggle at his early exit.”
Rajan has also trademarked his name for a range of products, with applications covering eyewear and kitchenware, including glass, porcelain and earthenware. The plans could extend to items such as sunglasses, clothing and cookware.
He has separately announced a “strategic partnership” with Waitrose. Content planned for LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, Instagram and YouTube Shorts is intended to focus on “crucial topics including sustainability, quality and British farming”.
After leaving Celebrity Traitors, the former editor of The Independent said it was “gutting” to be the first contestant out and that he was “grieving”.
Speaking to former colleague Simon Jack on Today, Rajan maintained that he was not the only contestant suspicious of Grant. He said several people had questioned the actor after Grant declared that he was a traitor, which Rajan described as “a completely ludicrous thing to do”.
“So it wasn’t just me doing it,” Rajan said. “There were other people asking hard questions too but my strategy got me this close to becoming a traitor which I’d have loved.”
Rajan revealed that he had since had lunch with Grant, who apologised for killing him on the show and said he had gone “completely mad”. He also suggested that comedians on the programme could have an advantage because they already know one another.
