Filming of The Celebrity Traitors was temporarily halted after contestant James Acaster became "very anxious and panicked" during a scene at Ardross Castle, with co-stars and production staff stepping in to pause the game.
The comedian, known for co-hosting the Off Menu podcast with Ed Gamble, was taking part in the second series of the BBC show, which airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Thursday, October 1. The Sun reported that Acaster grew noticeably anxious while filming sequences with his co-stars, prompting fellow contestants to voice their concerns to the Studio Lambert production team, who agreed to suspend the game to assess his wellbeing.
Co-stars and production intervene
A source told The Sun: "The show is incredibly intense and during one particular scene at the castle, James became very anxious and panicked."
"Some of the other celebrities on the show spoke up and said cameras should stop rolling so he could calm down, and production were in agreement as well. Everyone looks out for each other and there is a proper sense of camaraderie. It was good for James to have a breather, as everyone felt it was for the best."
The source added: "The break didn't affect the outcome of the game at all, but showed just how passionate and tense everyone on set was. It's easy to become fully immersed."
Welfare team support
A spokeswoman for The Celebrity Traitors commented: "The Traitors is a unique and immersive game, and we recognise that taking part can be intense at times."
"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."
Fans will have to wait to see if Acaster's anxiety features in the final edit when the series airs on Thursday, October 1.
Why Acaster joined the show
Speaking on why he signed up, Acaster said: "I just love it. I'm a huge fan and have been since series one. I instantly got addicted to it when I started watching."
He added: "I think I started watching it halfway through the first series, so I was catching up on iPlayer. I did all of it in one night and then got really frustrated that I had to wait for all the other episodes. And then I really loved the first Celebrity series and instantly became jealous that I wasn't doing it. I had to get in here!"
Acaster sought advice from previous contestants Joe Wilkinson and Nick Mohammed before heading to the castle. He said: "I saw both Joe Wilkinson and Nick Mohammed after they'd done it and l said, 'Yo, congrats! It was great!'"
"They talked to me a bit about what it was like for them. I think they both had different experiences. Joe was very laid back, and Nick was very much trying to crack the case. I think I'm going to be a mix of the two."
Acaster also expressed concern over the number of comedians in the new series, with Rob Beckett, Joe Lycett, Romesh Ranganathan and Miranda Hart among the comic names set to feature. He said: "There will be suspicions that it's going to be at least one of these guys, that we might form an alliance if we're not broken apart. I think we're going to be the first ones under the magnifying glass being looked at."
He added: "Particularly at the beginning when you have absolutely nothing to go on. And then you consider that a comedian won last year with Alan Carr disarming everyone with jokes the whole time. He has tainted us all!"
"[Professor] Hannah Fry will probably tell you that probability-wise, there's most likely to be at least one comic chosen as a Traitor because there's enough of us. Even though it could obviously easily be three people who aren't comedians…I don't know how it works out, but if maths turns against us we're in big trouble."
The Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8pm on Thursday, October 1.
