Sarah Ferguson turned down an offer to appear on an upcoming BBC reality TV show despite reportedly being a huge fan.
Months after Prince Harry’s bombshell BBC interview about his estranged family, the Daily Express reported on September 7 that Celebrity Traitors tried to recruit the Duchess of York for its upcoming inaugural season, but were taken aback when Fergie firmly declined the offer.
“The Duchess was approached about Celebrity Traitors early on. We got the impression she was a fan of the show but eventually turned it down on the basis that she doesn’t do celebrity shows,” a TV industry insider told the outlet.
Celebrity Traitors is a spinoff of the original U.S. version of The Traitors, in which contestants must identify who among them is a “traitor” while competing for a cash prize for a charity of their choice.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the BBC show’s line up was confirmed back in April, including Sir Stephen Dry, Kate Garraway, Tom Daley, and more.
Just a month later, the Duke of Sussex came out with his highly controversial BBC interview, where he opened up about his estrangement from his father King Charles, brother Prince William, and the rest of the royal family.
Though Fergie declined the network’s initial offer, the insider told Express, “That doesn’t mean the BBC has given up on trying to get her to take part in a future series.”