Miranda Hart has opened up about the difficulties of participating in The Celebrity Traitors while living with ME.
In her 2024 memoir, the Miranda star, 53, opened up about her decades-long struggle with lyme disease, which turned into ME (Myalgic encephalomyelitis), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.
Symptoms of the condition include extreme tiredness, muscle or joint pain, and problems with memory and concentration.
Hart, who is set to feature in the star-studded second season of the BBC reality series Celebrity Traitors, spoke to the BBC ahead of joining the series, which will premiere next month.
“I’m still living with elements of ME, and that brings fatigue and pain to manage, but I have come to a point where I feel well enough to step out, and that’s also partly why I’m doing this,” said Hart. “The joy of mucking about on television again will hopefully outweigh some of the challenges. And I think it will be challenging on my body, so it’ll be interesting, and it’ll take some courage as this is a big next step.
“When you live with a chronic illness, it’s invisible, so people don't know that you’re sitting there in pain. But then it reminds you that everybody’s got their thing. So, I’m also really looking forward to making friends and looking after each other and hopefully they can carry me up a hill or whatever we’re going to have to do!”
Hart will be competing against 20 other celebrities in the game of interpersonal deception, with the lineup also including names such as actors Bella Ramsey, Michael Sheen, Richard E Grant and Ross Kemp, comedians James Acaster, Joe Lycett, and Joanne McNally, TV presenter Maya Jama, and the musician James Blunt.
Asked about her reasons for competing on the show, Hart told the BBC: “My decision making in life generally, and certainly work, is follow the joy. I haven’t done much TV work for a long time, having only recently come out of long-term ill health issues and when I was offered this, my whole body sort of relaxed, I smiled, and I just wanted to jump about like a schoolgirl with joy.
“It’s just fun. It’s outdoors, it’s games. All the stuff I love. It’s play basically. And I’m passionate about encouraging people to play more generally, and this game is that in spades. It’s a brilliant television show – the only flaw in taking part is that as a fan of the show it will be less fun to watch it with myself in it!”
The Celebrity Traitors returns on BBC One on 1 October.
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