He could have been the most treacherous Traitor of them all.

But we can reveal Gordon Ramsay pulled out of the the Celebrity Traitors at the last minute, leaving producers 'frustrated'.

The TV chef, 59, was offered a deal to be on the new series, which is currently being filmed in the Scottish Highlands, but had to back out due to 'scheduling issues'.

Elsewhere, Tom Hiddleston, 45, pulled out for the same reason, causing last-minute chaos for producers as they lost their two biggest signings.

One show source told the Daily Mail: 'Gordon pulled out due to scheduling issues. He had other TV work to do.

'Producers are frustrated that Gordon and Tom both had to pull out. They know those names would have drawn more international interest to the show.

'While the line-up has been widely praised, they're annoyed because it was due to be even better before Gordon and Tom had to cancel.

'They are hoping both of them will be up for the next series in 2027.'

On Thursday, Ramsay was pictured at one of his prior work commitments, the launch party for his new premium olive oil brand, Krude.  

The TV star posed alongside Emma Bunton, Nicole Appleton and Holly Willoughby at his lavish event. 

Meanwhile, Hiddleston was left devastated after his movie commitments clashed with his plans to head to the Highlands.

Discussing the series on BBC Radio 2 earlier this year, the actor said: 'I mean, the celebrity one would be amazing. I think the whole show, the format is just the most ingenious thing, isn't it? It's completely compulsive. Maybe the best television I've ever seen.'

The Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, is a high-stakes game that favours deception and betrayal, often uncloaking the darker side of a contestant's nature.

The Celebrity format – which sees 21 famous faces playing games to win £100,000 for a chosen charity and 'Traitors' secretly sabotaging them while trying to avoid being exposed and 'killed' – is notorious for provoking blazing rows between contestants and encouraging even the closest of friends to backstab each other.

The BBC has increased the budget for the upcoming series as the stars landed in Inverness via planes and private jets, while last year, many contestants were said to have travelled on the train.

The A-list line-up was officially announced when the broadcaster dropped the first teaser trailer earlier this month, with the likes of Maya Jama, Richard E Grant, Jerry Hall, Romesh Ranganathan and Ross Kemp currently filming at the Scottish castle.

Elsewhere, the line-up includes Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Michael Sheen, Bella Ramsey, Amol Rajan, James Blunt, Rob Beckett, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart and James Acaster.

Last year's show was a smash hit for the BBC, with 15.4million viewers watching the finale, and also gave a boost to the careers of fan favourites such as 49-year-old comedian Alan Carr and retired rugby player Joe Marler.

It has been revealed that each contestant will receive a flat fee of £40,000 for the series – a major pay cut for many of them and a testament to how desperately they want to be on the show.

And the Daily Mail revealed there are some in this year's line-up who are 'terrified' of how they will appear in the final edit – and pressure is already being put on the BBC to ensure they will come off 'positively'.

Our insider said: 'As it's the second time round, they've seen just how big a boost it can give to a personal brand but it needs to be orchestrated carefully.

'Last year, there were a few celebrities who were not best pleased with how they came across. But this year they are adamant they will come out positively and the BBC is under pressure to make sure they do.

'One foot wrong, and it could become a PR nightmare.'

The Daily Mail has contacted the BBC and Ramsay's representatives for comment.