Nick Mohammed's Next Stage Role

Nick Mohammed is set to join a new West End stage production of The Traitors: Acts of Betrayal. He will take over the role previously held by Claudia Winkleman in the show. Rehearsals for the production begin in January, with previews scheduled for June at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London. The piece was written by John Finnemore and features a cycle of five plays with a fixed cast of 12 contestants.

The stage project follows Mohammed’s recent work on the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors. He reached the final of the 2025 series, which averaged 11.1 million viewers. That episode represented the largest live audience for a single television show that year. Mohammed noted that professional offers he receives now can be categorized by whether they arrived before or after his appearance on the program. He is also scheduled to host this year’s Olivier Awards.

Mohammed’s screen career has expanded significantly since his breakout role in Ted Lasso. The series earned him two Emmy nominations. He initially declined the part of Nate Shelley because he was busy filming his own series, Intelligence. Showrunner Bill Lawrence persuaded him to accept the role, advising him to just do it. Mohammed said the show stood out for its tone during a period when many comedies were cynical. After the second season, he performed his Mr. Swallow magic act in New York and sold out a 1,200-seat town hall.

The actor, now 46, began his career in magic. He grew up in Leeds and joined a local magic club after receiving a Paul Daniels set as a child. From age 16, he performed close-up card tricks at weddings and parties to pay for college. He even performed at the 2012 wedding of his friend and actor Simon Bird. Mohammed developed the character of Mr. Swallow, a megalomaniac magician, while studying for a PhD in seismology. He expanded the act into a full-hour set after performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. Today, he says he only performs live as Mr. Swallow.

His film credits include Bridget Jones's Baby and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie in 2016, and the 2025 release Deep Cover. The latter film stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom. Television credits include Fresh Meat, Stath Lets Flats, Inside No. 9, Taskmaster, Slow Horses, and Last One Laughing U.K. He is also appearing in Sky’s legal thriller War, which has been ordered for two seasons. The series is led by Dominic West and Sienna Miller. Mohammed plays Michael, an arrogant lawyer who is a loner. His role is smaller in the first season and larger in the second, which is already filmed. He noted that a line delivered by Celia Imrie’s character was improvised.

Mohammed has a Mr. Swallow special in distribution through Universal. He also has projects in development with the BBC, Channel 4, and Apple. The second series of Celebrity Traitors is due to end with its finale this Friday. Mohammed filmed an Uncloaked episode and promised massive moments to come. He said his gradual rise helped him cope with the industry’s demands. He noted that the industry prepares people well for failure but not for global success. He was glad the recognition arrived when he was 39 or 40 rather than 21.

Asked about his reputation for niceness, Mohammed said he is uneasy about people being praised for the bare minimum. He stated that he is not without ego and that ambition and confidence are useful. His wife, a music teacher, keeps him grounded. She often reminds him that his work complaints are first-world problems.