Andy Burnham admits politicians have 'a lot to offer' stars of The Traitors in Celebrity Gogglebox appearance

Andy Burnham has said politicians have "a lot to offer" traitors in his Celebrity Gogglebox appearance.

The Prime Minister had been scrutinised before his appearance on Channel 4's Gogglebox couch, becoming the first Prime Minister to do so.

Mr Burnham was joined by long-time personal friend and Liverpool City Mayor Steve Rotheram, as they reacted to shows including Only Connect and The Celebrity Traitors.

Reacting to clips from the BBC's show of treachery and backstabbing, he admitted politicians may have experience with the hit show's themes.

He said: "Well, obviously, I would say that politicians have got a lot to offer to those who are looking for tactics in relation to The Traitors."

Mr Burnham seized power from Sir Keir Starmer after Wes Streeting, John Healey, and Angela Rayner left the former Prime Minister's Cabinet.

All three now serve under the former Mayor of Greater Manchester.

He added: "I think we can spot faithfuls and traitors a mile off."

The Makerfield MP continued: "Our profession teaches us to do that, but it’s a great programme."

He also praised the show as a sign of how "strong British broadcasting is, and of course the BBC".

Turning to the Liverpool Mayor, he suggested Mr Rotherham would perform well on the show because "like politics, you've got to spot the wrong'uns in the room, and you're pretty good at that".

The Prime Minister was forced to defend his appearance after political opponents questioned how he had time to take part.

One Tory source told GB News leader Kemi Badenoch also should have been invited on the show, adding that it was "Channel 4's job to ensure political balance".

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Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has previously appeared on the show, and a party spokesman told The People's Channel he would happily appear again.

The Prime Minister said he would "make no apology" for trying to "lead with a bit of lightness", and was "proud" to support Stand Up To Cancer

Scenes of Britons with cancer were interspersed throughout the programme.

Clips were shown from Callum's Story, revealing how the 16-year-old collapsed in school in January 2025, was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of brain cancer, and died in hospital just a year later.

Welling up with emotion, Mr Burnham said he "couldn't imagine" going through those circumstances, adding that it was "devastating" for the family.

Reacting to the story of a young family dealing with the aftermath of cancer, he said: "The only thing that does give some hope is there is so much incredible research going on, and some of the main cancers of years ago, there's been such big progress on them.

"But it's utter devastation, isn't it? If you're that couple, I don’t know how you cope with that."

Mrs Badenoch questioned the Prime Minister's decision to take part in the show while he had other commitments to attend to.

Referring to the Government's advice to the public to stockpile food, water and other essentials to prepare for possible emergencies in the future, she said: "I don't mind them giving advice.

"I worry that between the Prime Minister being on Gogglebox and then talking about stockpiling canned goods, they're not actually doing the really difficult stuff that will protect the country."