Amol Rajan’s Brief Stint on The Celebrity Traitors
When the second series of The Celebrity Traitors premiered on BBC One on 1 October 2026, one of its most recognizable contestants was journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan. At 42 years old, Rajan is known for his insightful and sometimes tough questioning style.
Early Exit from the Show
Rajan was the first celebrity to be eliminated, falling victim to Traitors Maya Jama and Richard E. Grant. Despite entering the show with a strategy to keep a low profile—drawing from his experience as a journalist—his plan did not succeed, leading him to express regret for not aligning himself with the Traitors.
Background
Born V. Amol in Kolkata in 1983, Rajan and his family moved to England when he was just three years old. Adhering to Tamil naming customs, his name was later changed to Amol Varadarajan. His family subsequently adopted the surname Rajan.
Rajan’s media career has been remarkable. He became the editor of The Independent at the young age of 29 in 2013 and transitioned to broadcasting, eventually taking over as the presenter of University Challenge in 2023. Rajan also competed on Christmas University Challenge in 2020, representing Downing College, Cambridge.
Future Endeavors
Following his exit from The Celebrity Traitors, Rajan is set to launch a YouTube show titled The Amol Rajan Connection and has expressed an ambition to explore entrepreneurship in 2026.
