The Celebrity Traitors: Ex QPR and Southampton star Charlie Austin backs Harlequins hero

Ex QPR and Southampton star Charlie Austin has backed Harlequins hero Joe Marler to win The Celebrity Traitors ahead of the hit BBC show’s final on Thursday night.

The game show has gripped the nation over the past month and comes to a climax tonight. Rugby star Marler is joined by singer Cat Burns, comedian Alan Carr, actor Nick Mohammed and historian David Olusoga.

Unknown to Mohammed, Olusoga and Marler, Burns and Carr are the remaining traitors. In the previous episode, Marler appeared to be close to working out the truth, leaving the series on a cliff edge ahead of Thursday night.

Charlie Austin gives The Celebrity Traitors verdict

Austin was quizzed about the show when speaking on Sky Sports on Thursday morning. First, the 36-year-old was asked whether he would be a faithful or a traitor.

He replied: “If I say faithful, everyone on social media will say I’m a traitor anyway, so might as well just say traitor. You only gave me two options! I went with what everyone else expects.”

There were no former football star featured in The Celebrity Traitors this year but sports stars did come in the form of Tom Daley and Marler. Austin has been winding down his playing career in recent years at the age of 36, signing for non league side Basingstoke Town this summer.

The striker made a few appearances for the club before picking up an injury and departed on October 31 amid talk of an approach from Hungerford Town. Austin has been building a career in the media and a potential future spot on The Celebrity Traitors is not an impossibility.

Ex QPR star backs Harlequins legend Joe Marler

Austin made 148 appearances for QPR, the most he turned out for a club during his career, and backed a fellow former London sportsman to win The Celebrity Traitors in Joe Marler. The ex R’s star was emphatic in naming the rugby player when asked who would win tonight.

Marler joined the Harlequins Academy in 2008 and was with the club until he announced his retirement in November 2024. The 35-year-old won two Premiership Rugby titles with Harlequins.

He also made 95 appearances for England, winning the Six Nations three times and finishing as a runner-up at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Marler is also known for his podcast and outspoken work around men’s mental health.

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