Richard E. Grant might just be the most iconic Celebrity Traitors contestant in the show's history. The 69-year-old actor has already won the nations' hearts with his endearing eccentricity, impeccable dress sense and, of course, his chaos-inducing blunder that threatened to derail the game.
The Withnail and I actor is also adored for his open devotion to his late wife, Joan Washington, who passed away in 2021.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC CreativeIn the opening episode of Celebrity Traitors season two – after being awarded the infamous green cloak by Claudia Winkleman – Richard shared that four days before she died, Joan encouraged him to find pockets of joy every day, adding that getting the chance to be a Traitor had given him "a wheelbarrow full and then some".
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about Richard's beloved late wife.
Meet Richard E. Grant's wife
Richard E. Grant married Joan Washington, a highly regarded voice and dialect coach, in 1986.
Joan, who was born and raised in Aberdeen in Scotland, spent nearly 40 years as a voice coach to the stars, having trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
© Copyright Nick HarveyRichard and Joan welcomed their daughter Olivia, a casting director, in January 1989. The Saltburn star is also a stepfather to Joan's son, Tom, from a previous relationship.
Joan worked with a number of major stars over the years, including Emma Stone on the Oscar-winning film, The Favourite, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman on Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and Anthony Hopkins in 1984's The Bounty.
© AFP via Getty ImagesShe also worked with Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave, Ralph Fiennes, Brendon Gleeson and Emma Stone.
Joan died aged 74 in September 2021, eight months after she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Joan was adored by A-listers
Joan clearly enriched the lives of those she worked with. Following her death, actress Jessica Chastain, who worked with Joan on films including The Debt and Crimson Peak, said she was heartbroken. "Joan Washington had such a profound impact on me, yes as an artist, but mostly as a woman," she wrote on social media.
© Getty ImagesOn the five-year anniversary of Joan's death, Richard shared a touching tribute to his late wife. "Joan Washington and I were together for 38 years. She died five years ago this evening," he penned on Instagram, alongside a carousel of family photos taken over the course of their marriage. "Still feels like a blink away. Grief has gradually transmuted into gratitude for the gift of experiencing such profound Love."
In a separate post, he expressed his "unbelievable gratitude" for the time he spent with Joan. "More than anybody in the whole world that I have ever met, she got me," he said in a video. "I got her, and that seems to be the kind of holy grail gift that I never anticipated I would find in my life. I sure did with her."
The comments section was quickly inundated with messages from celebrity friends, including Marcella actress Anna Friel, who penned: "Beautiful, clever, kind, Joan. What a smile. Sending you and Olivia love."
Meanwhile, The Thick of It actor Chris Addison hailed Joan as a "talented, brilliant woman," while actress and director Trudie Styler praised her "crackling wit and fun".
