New claims have emerged about alleged backstage tensions on Celebrity Traitors, with reports that James Acaster felt singled out by fellow comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett during filming. The atmosphere behind the scenes has been described as "toxic" by one insider, following the show's explosive finale.
Fallout Among Comedians
According to the Daily Mail, James allegedly felt increasingly targeted by Romesh and Rob, with their strained relationship said to have centred on their different social backgrounds. A show insider claimed the comedian had felt uncomfortable with remarks made by the pair throughout filming.
The source said: "At the heart of it you had a middle-class man and two working class men. James felt that some of the remarks were directed not simply at him as a fellow comedian, but at his background and upbringing."
Romesh, 48, and Rob, 40, are said to have viewed their comments as harmless banter, but James, 41, reportedly experienced them differently. He is said to have spoken to friends about feeling increasingly targeted, with the experience becoming more unpleasant as the competition progressed.
Absent from Celebrations
Following Friday's final, the majority of the celebrity cast gathered to celebrate winners Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian 'Bash' Croft. However, James was notably absent, while Uncloaked presenter Ed Gamble reportedly made no mention of him during the celebrations.
The insider also claimed James had little desire to attend the post-show celebrations, particularly with Romesh being recognised as one of the winners. A number of other stars, including Beckett, Jerry Hall and Joanne McNally, were also absent.
Another source described the atmosphere behind the scenes as "toxic", claiming there had been considerable unrest among the celebrities.
Filming Halted After Confession
The claims come after James' dramatic exit from the competition on Thursday's penultimate episode, when he confessed to being a Traitor before being banished at the round table. It has also been reported that filming was temporarily halted following his confession, with production staff checking on the welfare of the cast.
Meanwhile, Maya Jama was also absent from the post-show celebrations, reportedly because she was away filming Netflix series The Gentlemen. Her absence came after a dramatic final in which fellow Traitor King Kenny turned against her at the round table, leading to her banishment.
As she left the room, Maya told the remaining contestants: "Good luck. You're gonna need it." A source claimed Maya had been particularly determined to win and was left unhappy after being betrayed by someone she had recruited as a fellow Traitor.
During Uncloaked, Kenny discussed his decision to turn against his fellow Traitor, describing it as a "high risk high reward" move. He explained that he felt the final Round Table was his last opportunity to make a decisive move. The insider said: "Maya played a blinder, then got screwed over by the player she recruited to be a Traitor. She was not happy."
Charity Donations
In more positive scenes, a charity has said it is "absolutely thrilled" after receiving a "generous donation" from Maya, who gave away what she would have won despite missing out on the £83k prize pot. The 32-year-old revealed she had made a donation to Action for Children on Saturday, despite being banished from the BBC reality show during Friday night's dramatic final.
In a post to X, the Love Island presenter wrote: "Just donated what I would have won for my chosen charity @ActnForChildren. Amazing cause." The charity confirmed Jama had donated £83,500.
Heartstopper star Croft is donating his £41,500 share to the charity Choose Love, while Ranganathan is giving his to the Refugee Council.
