James Acaster revealed himself as a traitor during the penultimate episode of Celebrity Traitors, leading to his banishment and a wave of fan reactions. The BBC has since issued a statement saying player welfare is its "highest priority."
Acaster's dramatic roundtable confession
The comedian, 41, started the series as a faithful but was brought into the traitor fold in the second episode after facing an ultimatum. He described having a "unique experience" playing as a "faithful traitor," vowing not to lie to fellow players despite being part of the traitor team.
During Thursday night's heated roundtable, actor Michael Sheen grilled Acaster over the murder in plain sight that ousted Ross Kemp from the castle. Under pressure, Acaster came clean and admitted his traitor role, resulting in a clean sweep of votes that saw him banished before Friday's finale.
Fan support and criticism
Fans have praised Acaster for playing the game differently from previous series, with some calling the move brave and genuine. X user @MiichealKing wrote: "Honestly I gasped when he revealed himself because I didn't expect him to do it. If every series of Traitors was played identically by all players, it'd rapidly become so dull. Plus Celebrity Traitors isn't that deep. It's for charity."
Another fan, napqueen3000, defended Acaster, saying: "I cannot believe people are ANGRY and judgemental that James Acaster confessed. He's autistic, he'd had a panic attack already, he didn't even want to be a traitor and hated lying. It was brave, it was genuine, and it was f***ing brilliant telly."
Fellow fan @emobuckybarnes added: "I will always defend James, he is autistic and never wanted to be a traitor, I don't expect the general public to understand what it's like being autistic, but it would be nice if people tried to have some empathy, it must have been exhausting for him."
BBC statement on player welfare
A BBC 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."
According to reports, Acaster got upset during the tense roundtable, forcing producers to pause filming and step in, and was also reportedly given a welfare check before the roundtable began.
What happens next
Acaster is the second traitor this series to reveal his identity before being caught, after Richard E. Grant accidentally revealed he was a traitor moments after being chosen. The remaining players—traitors Maya Jama and King Kenny, and faithfuls James Blunt, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Michael Sheen, Romesh Ranganathan, and Sebastian Croft—compete in Friday's final, airing on BBC One at 8pm.
