By Matt Barnett, Channel Director at Gamma
Tonight, Joe Marler takes to our screens as a finalist in Celebrity Traitors.
Right now, it feels like the perfect time to look back on what it was like to interview him live on stage at Gammaverse 2025 just over a month ago. Watching him navigate alliances, suspicion and strategy on The Traitors has felt strangely familiar. After all, sitting next to him on stage required a similar mix of nerve, instinct and blind faith.
The combination, for Joe, has paid off. Whether at the round table, or that lightbulb moment in last Thursday’s episode, Joe is now one step closer to the greatest win of his career. The three Six Nations championship wins and two Premiership titles are worth mentioning, though.
When we first started planning this year’s Gammaverse, we knew we wanted a keynote that wasn’t just entertaining. We wanted people to think differently about leadership, resilience and teamwork.
Enter Joe Marler
If you’ve ever seen Joe on the pitch or heard him speak, you’ll know he’s not your typical rugby player (or your typical guest keynote). He’s brutally honest and disarmingly funny, while being refreshingly human. Which made interviewing him one of the most unpredictable and energising conversations I’ve ever had.
In the green room beforehand, I was diligently preparing my questions and rehearsing how I’d steer the conversation. Preparation is key, right?
But in walks Joe, larger than life, and with zero filter. Within minutes, my prompt cards were in the bin. This man wasn’t about to be steered; he is a mass of unpredictability, and I just need to accept it and go with the flow.
In his own words, he had spent ‘the last 17 years lying about being a good rugby player’, so who knew what to expect?
Like The Traitors, there would be twists, turns and a few shocks along the way. A terrifying realisation two minutes before stepping in front of 500 people.
The build-up
We’d just come off a morning of deep-dive sessions about AI, UCaaS innovation, M&A and the evolving partner landscape. Having someone like Joe bring an entirely different perspective was exactly what the day needed. As I walked on to the stage to make my introductions, my mouth was dry, and the lack of control I felt was palpable.
I joked with Joe in the wings only moments before saying, ‘Joe, you have one job today my friend, “make me look good”. His response was less than reassuring, and I wish I had never uttered those words, albeit in jest.
How do you interview someone who’s as unpredictable and outspoken as Joe, in front of hundreds of partners and colleagues? What had I signed up for?
But from the moment he walked on stage (in shorts, no less), the energy shifted. The audience was instantly hooked, and any lingering fear I had evaporated.
Well, mostly.
Straight talking and surprising honesty
We talked about pressure, confidence, and mental health in professional sport, but it was Joe’s openness that really struck the room. He didn’t dress it up – he just told the truth.
The importance of being part of a team that has your back. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Finding balance when the world expects you to be “on” all the time.
As he spoke, it was impossible not to draw parallels with our own world in business and the channel. The need to stay grounded, know your role, trust your teammates, stay focused when things get tough.
In a way, much like The Traitors, success depends on who you trust, how you show up and whether you can keep your cool under pressure.
Humour with a message
True to form, Joe’s sense of humour never let up. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments (some slightly off-script, if there even was a script to begin with), as anyone in the room will remember! But behind the laughter was a powerful, authentic message about self-awareness and resilience.
His advice for leaders was simple. Stay true to yourself, back yourself and be bold in your confidence. You need to bring your ‘A’ game and maintain a winning attitude to succeed.
A simple message delivered in a way that carried layers of complexity that really made the audience think.
A perfect Gammaverse moment
For me, that conversation summed up what Gammaverse is all about. Real people with honest stories and ideas. It reminded everyone that success, whether on the rugby field, in the channel, or in a Scottish castle surrounded by hidden celebrity traitors, isn’t about shouting the loudest.
It’s about doing the right things consistently, supporting each other and staying true to your values.
So, thank you Joe, for bringing your trademark humour, humility and honesty to Gammaverse. You gave us laughs, lessons and a timely reminder that leadership doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be real.
You also set what might be a world record for profanity in a tech keynote. Proof that sometimes the best insights come with a few well-placed F-bombs.
Good luck in the Celebrity Traitors final tonight, Joe! We’re all cheering you on (shorts and all).
Matt Barnett is an experienced IT and telecommunications professional. He’s always looking to help business’ embrace exciting new technologies.
Make sure you follow Matt on LinkedIn.