The Traitors is back on screens with a new celebrity edition of the hit BBC programme

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Stephen Fry opened up on his childhood struggles(Image: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)

The Traitors has returned to our screens with a brand new celebrity edition of the popular BBC show. Sir Stephen Fry is amongst the 19 famous faces who entered Ardross Castle in Scotland during last weeks opening episode of the star-studded series.

Additional celebrities participating include singer Charlotte Church, comedian Alan Carr and television host Kate Garraway. The series spans nine episodes, with the stars competing to secure a cash prize of up to £100,000 for their chosen charity.

As the 70-minute first episode began, Sir Stephen Fry declared: “Let the horror unfold and may the worst person win.”

The celebrity participants were guided into the magnificent castle grounds and began familiarising themselves with one another before the competition started, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Stephen Fry was positioned in the corridor alongside YouTube personality Niko Omilana. Intrigued by Fry’s knighthood experience, the 27-year-old asked: “I’ve got a question for you Stephen. So, what’s the process of being knighted?”

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Stephen Fry opened up on his younger years as he said he was “dreadful”(Image: BBC)

Stephen responded: “Well, you get a sword on each shoulder.” He then proceeded to discuss his “troubled” upbringing which featured a period behind bars. The 68-year-old television personality revealed his mum was present to witness him receiving his knighthood.

He reflected on the poignant occasion, before remarking: “You know, given what a dreadful child I was. I literally went to prison and things like that. So it was a bit like ‘this troubled child has finally been less of a disgrace’.”

Why did Stephen Fry go to prison?

Fry is known for his remarkable career, having risen to prominence as half of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie. Nevertheless, little is understood about his upbringing and time behind bars.

He has previously revealed to the BBC that he suffered from “galloping kleptomania” during his teenage years.

The summer following his A-level failures, he took a credit card belonging to a family friend. He then fled to Swindon, where he was apprehended.

Stephen received a three-month prison sentence at Pucklechurch in South Gloucestershire. While serving his time, Stephen earned the moniker “The Professor” due to his scholarly credentials.

He even helped his cellmate learn to read and write. Following his three-month stretch, Stephen explained his parents encouraged him to choose his future path.

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The first episode of Celebrity Traitors aired last Wednesday(Image: BBC)

He said: “I wouldn’t say they’d given up on me, but they basically said, ‘We’re not going to push you into any other schools. You must now decide what you want to do’.”

Following this, Stephen made the decision to go back to school and resit his A-levels. He took English, French and History of Art.

He achieved his ambition of getting into Cambridge University, where he initially encountered Hugh Laurie, who would later become his comedic collaborator.

During his university studies, he discovered that performing captivated him far more than academic pursuits. Reflecting on his Cambridge experience, he shared with the BBC: “It absolutely solidified a view of myself, that took a lot of soul-searching to come to terms with.

“And that is despite getting this scholarship and being told that I should stay at Cambridge and grow tweed and become a don – an academic – I realised I was not an intellectual. I was that smaller thing and I couldn’t deny it. It’s just deep in me. I’m an entertainer.”