James Acaster has said he has no idea how the public reacted to his time on Celebrity Traitors and that he "doesn't care" what people think about his appearance on the BBC show.
The comedian, 41, had an intense and dramatic stint on the second series, which ended with an unprecedented departure that temporarily halted filming. He arrived at Ardross Castle hoping to compete as a Faithful but was recruited as a Traitor in Episode 2. He later admitted he found the role difficult because being a Faithful was "all I've wanted to be".
An unprecedented roundtable reveal
During the semi-final roundtable, while facing scrutiny over the "plain-sight murder" of Ross Kemp, Acaster chose to reveal his identity before the vote had ended, telling the group, "I am, reluctantly, a traitor". No Traitor had previously disclosed their identity at the roundtable before being banished.
The pressure reportedly became too much during his final scenes. Reports emerged that filming had to be suspended so staff could conduct a welfare check on Acaster, and the episode required substantial editing. A BBC spokesperson later acknowledged the situation, emphasising contestant welfare.
Mixed viewer reactions
Viewer response to Acaster's appearance was strongly split, with his semi-final self-revelation dominating public debate. Many traditionalists felt his decision to admit his role destroyed the suspense of the penultimate episode.
Some grouped his departure with other moments from the series, such as Richard E. Grant blurting out he was a Traitor and Joe Lycett begging to be recruited, complaining on social media that contestants "broke the game". Commentators noted that by disclosing himself as a "reluctant Traitor", he cast suspicion on the remaining Traitors Maya and Kenny, changing the course of the final.
Acaster stays off social media
Acaster revealed this week that he remains unaware of the backlash because he stays off social media entirely and avoids media coverage of his appearance. Speaking to hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware on the Table Manners podcast, he said: "I'm not on social media, and I genuinely don't look at it. And it was a show as big as Traitors, I'm too scared to Google myself or look at the press. So I genuinely haven't seen any of it."
He added: "After it happened, you go, 'Well, that's never happened on the show before. So there's going to be every opinion under the sun about that.' Part of me was just like, stand by it, I don't care, because you obviously get to that point as well, where you know that the public will have every opinion about it, and you can't worry about the people who don't like whatever it is that you've done."
Despite many viewers claiming Acaster had 'ruined' the series, a significant number defended him, pointing out that the deception was visibly weighing on him emotionally. Some admired his choice to abandon dishonesty after playing a strong game, while others praised the moment as "great TV" and "iconic", arguing the unpredictability kept the format refreshing. Acaster was also celebrated by fans as one of the show's most memorable players.
New episodes of Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware drop weekly, available on the Table Manners website, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
