Chatty Man host Alan Carr has finally accepted a reality challenge, and producers have placed him opposite rising Irish actor Ruth Codd, best known for The Midnight Club. Industry sources said that Carr’s quick fire humour has long been a dream signing, but the castle format required reassurance that his trademark ad libs would survive the show’s secrecy rules.
Codd was convinced by the chance to play against type. The Evening Standard notes that the actor trained as a barber and rose on TikTok before Netflix stardom, giving her a social media savvy edge that Carr lacks.
Filming schedules list both contestants on opposing teams for the opening “shield” mission, which awards immunity. Carr is said to have compared the task to “Crystal Maze with murder”, while Codd requested extra time to study castle floorplans, hinting at a calculated approach.
Fans are already speculating about a comedy versus drama clash at the nightly banishment table. Carr thrives on openness, but the game penalises loose tongues. Codd, meanwhile, has told friends she plans to “listen twice, speak once”, a motto lifted from theatre rehearsal rooms.
Social listening firm Talkwalker reports that within a day of the line up leak, discussion of a possible Carr–Codd alliance peaked at 9000 mentions, though sentiment analysis suggests viewers are split on whether they could trust each other.
BBC executives believe the contrast will generate appointment viewing. A senior scheduler described the pair as “oil and water – unpredictable yet fascinating when shaken”. With 2 weeks of deception ahead, the Carr and Codd dynamic may prove the defining storyline of the new celebrity cycle.
