James Acaster has revealed he was warned by BBC bosses after breaking a rule off camera during his time on Celebrity Traitors. The comedian, 41, switched from Faithful to Traitor early in series two, joining Maya Jama and Richard E Grant as part of the treacherous trio. While Richard was subsequently voted out, James has survived alongside Maya and new recruit Hannah Fry.
Strict rules behind the scenes
Speaking about the realities of filming, James explained that while the programme is predominantly filmed in a castle in the Scottish Highlands, the celebrities do not actually reside there. Instead, they stay in a Travelodge an hour away. Even away from the castle, contestants are isolated from the outside world and must be accompanied to prevent them from revealing any secrets.
The restrictions extend further. Although the celebrities are permitted a 10-minute phone call with loved ones each day, these calls are supervised and monitored by a member of the production team, according to the Express.
Phone call mishap
For James, this meant speaking to his partner, which led to an awkward encounter with the programme's producers. They took issue when he shared a piece of information they felt revealed too much.
Speaking to the Times, James discussed the difficulties this created: "You can't have an authentic conversation because you can't tell them anything that's happening. At one point my partner said, 'Have you caught the sun?' I was saying, 'Oh yeah, we were outside for one of the missions.' I was told I couldn't even tell her that."
More behind-the-scenes revelations
James is not the only celebrity contestant to shed light on life behind the scenes. Former participant Richard E Grant also revealed details about what goes on when the cameras stop rolling.
Speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he explained how meals were delivered to their rooms, outside of which a guard was stationed. He said: "You are so institutionalised in that thing within 24 hours, because you are isolated, kept in a separate room. There is a guard outside your door, your food is delivered and there's no internet access, so you are kind of shut down. You're not told what the time is or what time the meals are going to be."
Richard also revealed they were instructed on what to wear, leaving him feeling as though he had reverted to childhood. He added: "You are also prescribed, on a daily basis, what you have to wear and all of those things have to be presented in advance. So, you are kind of infantilised and institutionalised at the same time."
