Joe Marler went from kicking rugby balls up the pitch to kicking Traitors out of the castle and won the nation’s heart in the process.
Now, however, the prop turned podcaster has become something of a sage figure for stars set to appear on Celebrity Traitors season 2.
Or at least that’s what Joe, 35, rather reluctantly, told Metro when we sat down with him to discuss Soccer Aid 2026 (he’s playing goalie for England) and how he’s fared since he left the castle.
‘Without naming names, people have reached out to me for advice,’ he admitted before adding he doesn’t know who’s going in, just that he’s ‘excited to see who is’.
But what advice has Joe given these would-be traitor hunters?
Well, it wouldn’t shock you to learn that a man like Joe, who was so brutally betrayed in the final episode of his series, has some super-duper serious advice for those naive enough to step into Claudia Winkelman’s den of lies.
He’s been telling them not fill up at breakfast.
Yep, you read that right.
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‘Don’t eat too much breakfast in your own lodgings before going down to another breakfast,’ he laughed.
‘I put on eight kilos doing it. So I said, just be careful what you’re eating in there.’
Of course, Joe did have some other words of wisdom for future Traitors stars, namely, remember it’s a game.
The round tables are intense,’ he explained. ‘Just the whole nature of it is quite daunting, and a lot of people thought, “Oh, you’ve gone after Jonathan or Alan. It’s a bit spikey”.
‘No, because we all know it’s just a game. None of this is a genuine personal attack or anything like that. It’s just a game.’
Joe also acknowledged during our chat the big mistake he made in the castle.
I was too full on for Nick. I creeped him out,’ he admitted. ‘When I turned around to him, and said, “Mate, I know you’re 100% faithful. I am too”.
‘It wasn’t until we watched it all back that he told me that was the moment. He was like, “Oh, am I being played here?” If I had my time again, I’d probably be less intense.’
Still, it’s clear Joe doesn’t hold a grudge against Nick. The Ted Lasso star has appeared on Joe’s podcast, and they did Celebrity Gogglebox together.
Although Joe did joke he wouldn’t mind meeting Nick on the Soccer Aid pitch in the future, so he can get some ‘payback’.
Maybe next year, Joe…
Soccer Aid for UNICEF takes place on Sunday 31st May at the London Stadium. Adult tickets start from £20 and juniors from £10: socceraid.org.uk/tickets
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