James Acaster has publicly denied reports that he was bullied by Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan during the second series of Celebrity Traitors. The comedian, 41, said the claims that he complained to producers about the pair's behaviour are untrue.
Speaking on the Life's a Beach podcast with Alan Carr, Acaster expressed surprise at the allegations, noting his long friendship with both men. 'I was like, I've been friends with those guys for like over ten years,' he said. 'They were lovely the entire show; I didn't complain about any of my fellow players. It's completely fabricated.'
Agents' Denials Ignored
Acaster claimed that his own agents, as well as those representing Beckett and Ranganathan, denied the allegations, but their denials were ignored. The BBC has also rejected the reports, with a spokesperson for The Celebrity Traitors telling Metro: 'Claims of teasing amongst the cast on the show and claims of complaints about teasing are categorically untrue. There were no incidents of this nature, and there is no evidence to support these allegations.'
The reports emerged following Acaster's dramatic exit from the show, in which he spent nine episodes as a Traitor before revealing himself at the round table. His departure from Claudia Winkleman's castle sparked widespread media coverage, including claims that filming had to be paused and that Jerry Hall confronted him about his role.
Fan Concern After Exit
Fans had expressed concern for Acaster after he skipped the final Uncloaked episode, with viewers noting that guests appeared to avoid discussing him. Dr Andy Hershon wrote on X: '[Is] James Acaster ok? Strange not mentioned on the Uncloaked show.' Another user, @TheVocalHero, added: 'Really sad not to see James Acaster on Uncloaked here. Whatever you think about what he did, he's provided one of the most memorable moments on the show.'
On Reddit, user u/travelprofessor asked: 'Why is nobody mentioning James Acaster? It's like it never happened, bizarre.'
Series Conclusion
The Traitors series ended with Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Crawford securing a win for the Faithfuls, earning a shared £83,000 prize for their chosen charities. Metro has contacted representatives for Beckett and Ranganathan for comment.
