The BBC has rejected claims that it “betrayed” comedian James Acaster following his dramatic exit from its flagship reality series Celebrity Traitors last night.
The 41-year-old comedian and Off Menu co-host had faced mounting pressure after being recruited as a Traitor against his wishes, just one day after arriving at the Scottish Highlands castle.
When suspicion finally turned towards him at the latest round table, Acaster struggled to defend himself. He eventually revealed his identity to the other contestants before the vote began — a first for the series.
However, the polished broadcast appeared to omit a lengthy section in which Acaster, who has spoken publicly about his mental health and autism, became highly anxious and visibly distressed.
Filming was halted while welfare staff spoke at length with Acaster and his fellow contestants. Cameras only resumed after production teams had established that everyone was comfortable continuing.
When the game restarted, the atmosphere around the table had noticeably shifted. Acaster then delivered a speech to his fellow celebrities that is likely to be remembered as one of the show’s most striking moments.
“I just want to explain my situation. I was made a Traitor without wanting to be,” he said, prompting gasps from the rest of the cast.
“I’ve had a unique experience on this that no one has had before, where I wanted to be a Faithful; that’s all I wanted to be. I couldn’t just go, ‘Guys, it’s me, vote for me.’ But that’s all I can do, really.”
In a first for the show, comedian James Acaster revealed he was a Traitor before the round-table vote had begun after the pressure became overwhelming
Acaster disclosed that he was a Traitor before leaving the game during last night’s episode
The remaining contestants unanimously voted for Acaster, bringing his time in the game to an end.
After the episode aired, questions were raised about his experience inside the castle and the support available to him, particularly in light of his previous comments about his mental health.
The BBC responded to suggestions that the comedian had not been adequately supported. A spokesperson said: “Our highest priority is always the safety and welfare of everyone taking part.
“Players are closely monitored and supported throughout by production, which includes a dedicated and experienced welfare team.”
Acaster has previously described experiencing severe anxiety and depression. He has also spoken about suffering a breakdown after the end of a relationship in 2017.
He began therapy soon afterwards and has said that regular sessions, along with finding comfort in the music of 2016, helped him learn how to care for his mental health.
Earlier this year, Acaster also revealed that he is autistic. Speaking to Clash about his new album, The Wow! Scenario, he said: “I’ve always loved figuring out playlists, sequences of setlists, in that case with comedy as well – that really helps with making an album like this. In 2007 when we recorded seventeen tracks, we had it in a certain sequence, but I was really happy to create a different journey.
“That’s a part of my brain that’s always been engaged with anything creative. It’s almost certainly a trait of my autism, but, as with a lot of autistic traits, it’s very fortunate to have.”
Acaster’s history of anxiety may help explain why he was among only a small number of this year’s contestants to tell host Claudia Winkleman that he wanted to enter the castle as a Faithful.
Although he initially got his wish, few people — least of all Acaster — could have expected him to face such a stark decision after only one day: agree to become a Traitor or be eliminated by Maya Jama and Richard E Grant as the first contestant to leave the castle.
He chose to remain in the game, but was candid about wanting to act as much like a Faithful as possible. As the episodes continued, viewers began noticing the strain caused by deceiving the other contestants.
The pressure appeared close to boiling over in last week’s episodes. During a risky mission, the Traitors had to complete a secret task while surrounded by blindfolded Faithfuls inside a crypt, and Acaster appeared to crumble.
Outside the picturesque Ardross Castle, the remaining celebrities raised a glass to mark reaching the final alongside host Claudia Winkleman
Fearing that he would be exposed, he refused to remove his blindfold or participate in the hidden task. As a result, the celebrities failed to add any money to the prize fund.
Our News Outlet previously reported that Acaster had also found the teasing from fellow comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan difficult during filming.
He is said to have told producers that he felt he was being “mocked” by the pair, whose reportedly well-meaning jokes had begun to affect him.
Sources claimed that Beckett and Ranganathan, who have been close friends for years, were accused of taking some of their jokes “too far”. On-set conversations reportedly suggested that James “is much more sensitive than they are”.
One source said: “Rob and Romesh clearly thought they were having a bit of a laugh, but James began to feel quite a lot of it was at his expense, and away from the cameras he started to get annoyed and upset by it.
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“In the end, he spoke to the production team about it, saying he was unhappy and felt like he was being singled out.
“When Rob and Romesh get going together they are unstoppable and hilarious, but not at all malicious – it was more a misunderstanding.”
Acaster managed to avoid serious suspicion until last night’s episode, when actor Michael Sheen increased the pressure on both him and fellow Traitor Maya Jama.
After his banishment, Acaster briefly spoke to fellow podcast presenter Ed Gamble. However, he was notably absent from Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, the programme hosted by Gamble that airs after each episode and usually features contestants who have left that night.
His rapid breakdown under the pressure has also prompted criticism of the game’s intensity and the level of welfare support provided to contestants.
Cast members are famously isolated from one another when they are not filming, spending much of their time in hotel rooms. On the regular series, contestants are also prohibited from contacting friends or family during the process.
For the celebrity edition, participants are permitted one supervised ten-minute video call with a friend or relative each morning.
Welfare staff are available throughout the production. Two “welfare executives” were listed in the end credits, while psychologists can also assist contestants who require additional support.
It was previously reported that Irish comedian Joanne McNally was the only contestant who did not use the show’s psychologists at least once, amid reports of off-screen tension and contestants struggling with the experience.
Fans have nevertheless questioned whether those measures are sufficient for such a high-pressure reality programme. Some also defended Acaster against viewers who claimed his revelation had “ruined” the episode.
“James Acaster definitely had a panic attack at the round table and that’s why he outed himself as a Traitor,” one viewer wrote. “It’s heavily edited and he just couldn’t take it anymore.
“He’s done nothing wrong, he was true to himself. He never wanted to be a Traitor.”
Another viewer said: “Started watching thinking James being on such a popular programme would be encouraging for autistic people who feel like they can’t be themselves and all it’s proven is that if you put yourself out there unmasked you simply get stick for being different.”
A third accused the producers of “letting James Acaster’s mental health awareness down”.
Labour MP for Bishop Auckland Sam Rushworth also praised the comedian, sharing a clip from an interview in which Acaster discussed his mental health.
Mr Rushworth said: “James Acaster is a fantastic male role model: decent, honest, and open. His discomfort at deceiving people on Celebrity Traitors was relatable for many and his roundtable confession made cracking TV.
“Here he is discussing mental health with real maturity too.”
Acaster has also previously discussed the effect that the breakdown of relationships had on his mental health.
He has been in a relationship with senior television executive Hannah Rose since 2022, although the couple generally stay out of the spotlight.
Before that, Acaster was in a two-year relationship with Louise Ford. The couple later separated after she became close to actor Rowan Atkinson while they were appearing together in a play.
Despite his emotional departure from the castle, Acaster appeared in good spirits when speaking with his long-time friend Gamble. He told him: “That last round table, I went in thinking I’ve got no heat on me whatsoever.
“It was sprung on me, it was a surprise definitely. So that was like a shocker. But I was glad that they caught me.”
He encouraged both contestants and viewers to remember that “it’s just a game”. He added: “As a Traitor sometimes, when you see people have real life reactions that are bigger than the game, you feel bad.
“I would have to remind myself they don’t have a game without you, literally. If no one’s doing this stuff, they can’t play, and they all want to play. So you are doing an important job here. When they catch you, they’ll be really happy and they’ll like it.”
After the episode aired, several of his fellow contestants praised him. Speaking during the programme following Acaster’s banishment, Romesh Ranganathan expressed his pride in his friend of 10 years.
“The amazing thing about James is that he has done something that I don’t think I’ve seen anybody do,” Romesh told the camera.
“He played a truly unique game, which was to accept his role, but to do it as a Faithful, helping in a way as he possibly could, and that is kind of typical of the sort of thing that James A does, and I respect it a lot.”
Amol Rajan, who was murdered in episode two after Traitors Maya Jama and Richard E Grant chose to recruit Acaster instead of him, also commented on a clip shared by the BBC, describing the comedian as “a remarkable soul”.
