James Acaster is reportedly feeling "destabilised" after revealing on Celebrity Traitors that he was a Traitor, a decision that led to his banishment and sparked backlash from viewers. The comedian, 41, started the BBC show as a Faithful but was recruited as a Traitor, despite expressing his discomfort with the role.
Acaster's Revelation and Banishment
Throughout the series, Acaster said he didn't want to lie and played the game "as honestly as he possibly could." During last Thursday's roundtable, he dramatically revealed to his co-stars that he was a Traitor, leaving everyone stunned. Following his confession, he was banished from the castle.
Acaster narrowly missed out on a place in the final. His decision to come clean did not sit well with viewers at home, contributing to the backlash.
Richard Osman's Comments on the Fallout
Richard Osman and Marina Hyde discussed the backlash on their podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment. Osman said: "If you're in it, like if you're James [Acaster] at the moment, I bet you think, 'Oh, I wish I hadn't done that because everyone can have one opinion about this today.'"
He added: "James then has to listen to 56 million opinions, you know, and like nobody needs that. And the thing with him, he's so brilliant and so talented that whatever he does next will, you know, supersede this in a heartbeat." Osman continued: "But you know, it's just annoying to have to spend a couple of weeks sort of in a position where you feel slightly destabilised. James, if you're listening, or people who know and love James are listening, James, we love you. I'm very excited for what he does next."
James Blunt's Account of the Roundtable
Co-star James Blunt claimed that much of the roundtable discussion was edited out of the final episode. Speaking to the BBC, Blunt said: "He didn't fall on his sword. That's what you saw, that's what you feel, but he didn't. You didn't see the full extent of the interrogation. It was heavy in there, and it was clear-cut. He was pinned to a post. We got him. We really, really got him."
Blunt added: "I think how that played out hasn't really been revealed to you, but he didn't just say, 'Oh, guys, you got me'." He noted: "There are elements [of the show] where I was screaming at the screen for a different reason than you. No matter what really went on in that castle, you're a victim to the edit."
Acaster also revealed he only went on the show to promote his new material and wasn't too bothered about the game. He said: "We all get paid the same, whether you're there for day one or day 23. So for most of the time, I was trying to… Get the hell out of dodge. But no one was killing me, and no one was banishing me."
