Geeky, lanky and endearingly awkward, James Acaster has traditionally been associated with corduroy trousers and grandad jumpers rather than heartthrob status. Yet the Celebrity Traitors star appears to have undergone an unexpected transformation into an unlikely object of desire.
After making a dramatic entrance on the hit BBC series as its third becloaked Traitor, the comedian has become the subject of intense online speculation about his romantic life.
That interest has been heightened by the revelation that Acaster was once dumped in favour of none other than Mr Bean — a detail that has left many of his admirers stunned.
The 41-year-old, whose 6ft 1in stature and foppish blond curls have caught the attention of middle-aged viewers, was previously in a relationship with actress and comedian Louise Ford, now best known as Rowan Atkinson’s second wife.
Atkinson ended his marriage to his first wife, Sunetra Sastry, with whom he has two grown-up children, in 2014 to be with Ms Ford. The pair had met while performing in a play and now share a young daughter.
Rather than damaging Acaster’s appeal, this unusual chapter in his relationship history appears to have made fans even more devoted. Admirers have flocked to social media to praise the star, while some have gone as far as creating dedicated TikTok fan pages.
Those accounts feature video montages and so-called ‘thirst trap edits’, clips intended to highlight a person’s physical appeal — an impressive compliment for a man in his forties.
The videos show Acaster striding around Ardross Castle and tackling the show’s gruelling challenges, with fans focusing on his long limbs, arched eyebrows and trademark deadpan humour.
The comedian has found himself at the centre of a lively debate about his relationship status
Louise Ford, who is James Acaster’s ex-girlfriend, has been in a relationship with Rowan Atkinson since 2014
One such edit has attracted almost 200,000 views. One viewer wrote: ‘Yeah, he’s fit! Didn’t realise until last night!’
Another admitted: ‘Glad it’s not just me.’ A third made a playful reference to EL James’s erotic novel, commenting: ‘Fifty Shades of James.’
Fans have also remarked that the Off Menu podcast host has enjoyed a considerable glow-up for the programme, trading his familiar scruffy late-night stand-up appearance for a noticeably sharper style.
Those hoping to admire him from afar may be pleased to hear that Acaster appears to be single.
He dated Ms Ford from 2011 until 2013, with their relationship ending after she met the now 71-year-old Atkinson.
Acaster later addressed the break-up during his 2018 stand-up tour, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999. He joked: ‘I found out a year after we split up. I opened the newspaper, and there’s a photo of the two of them walking arm-in-arm down the street together and a full story about how they were a couple now.
‘It’s my job to say things that are funny, and the funniest thing that’s ever happened to anyone happened to me, and I put it on the back burner out of respect. Until you get left for Mr Bean, you don’t realise how frequently he pops up.
‘There’s a shop two streets from my house that sells masks of his face. There’s nowhere I’m going to go that he’s not there.’
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Despite telling host Claudia Winkleman that he would rather be a Faithful, and was not comfortable with lying, Acaster was recruited to be a Traitor
Since then, he has had just one significant relationship: a romance with New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo, creator and star of the BBC romantic comedy Starstruck. The experience appeared to leave a deep impression on him.
Their split in 2017 plunged Acaster into a dark place mentally, which he has discussed in his podcasts and wrote about in his 2019 book, Perfect Sound Whatever.
‘That was when I started having serious suicidal thoughts for the first time,’ he said.
‘I didn’t attempt it. I was in New York, the first time I’d ever been, which should have been really exciting. Instead I’d find myself thinking about ways I could kill myself. That scared me. I’m very lucky, personality-wise, that as soon as I recognise something needs doing, I’ll do it. So as soon as I got back to England I booked a therapy session.’
Having worked on his mental health, Acaster then used the experience for his comedy material.
He’s since said he is in a much better place. But he hasn’t had the easiest ride on Celebrity Traitors.
Despite telling host Claudia Winkleman that he would rather be a Faithful, and was not comfortable with lying, he was recruited to be a Traitor by Richard E Grant and Love Island presenter Maya Jama in the second episode. In a tense scene, Acaster and former Today show host Amol Rajan were forced to plead for their lives in the Traitors chapel before being told to lie in a coffin and await their fate.
Rajan was ‘murdered’ and Acaster saved – and he has been forced to plot with his fellow Traitors in the turret since.
But whether he has it in him to continue to deceive and murder the Faithfuls has yet to be seen. Several times Ms Jama has tried to encourage him to enjoy the power of being a Traitor, and to revel in picking new targets to knock off.
And while he hasn’t faced much suspicion yet, he reportedly became ‘very anxious’ on set, which led to filming being briefly paused during the summer to allow him to calm down.
‘Everyone was aware of the pressure getting to James; it was difficult to watch him struggling,’ one source told this newspaper.
Producers have since addressed the reports, stressing that the welfare of contestants is a priority while filming the notoriously intense reality series.
Acaster previously predicted that being a part of a major TV show would cause him stress.
Speaking on the podcast of Romesh Ranganathan – who is also appearing on Celebrity Traitors – he admitted: ‘I’ve turned shows down because I’ve watched them and thought they would be too stressful.
‘Like, I love Strictly, but I’m never going to do that. I think I would have a meltdown before the first episode went out.’
The comedian, who is thought to be worth £4.5million, certainly keeps busy, with frequent stand-up shows and his Off Menu podcast, which he co-hosts with Ed Gamble, the presenter of the Traitors BBC2 companion programme Uncloaked.
And after the show he is likely to be in high demand – particularly with the ladies.
