James Acaster sparked concern among fans after failing to appear at the Celebrity Traitors reunion, which saw Faithfuls Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft crowned as winners of the 2026 series. The comedian was notably absent from Broadcasting House for the Friday evening recording, despite making programme history on Thursday by revealing himself as a Traitor.
Cast absences addressed
Michael Sheen, who was murdered at the start of Friday's finale, sent a video message from rehearsals to explain why he could not attend, while Love Island presenter Maja Jama received a brief mention later in the episode. James reportedly failed to show up alongside Maya, Sharon Rooney, Rob Beckett, and Bella Ramsey, all of whom are currently occupied with various filming commitments. Joanne McNally was in America filming her comedy tour but issued an apology for missing the reunion.
Fan reactions on social media
Viewers took to social media to express their worry over James, with many claiming he had been largely overlooked. One wrote: "No mention of James A at all in Uncloaked, obviously trying to edit him out of existence as the producers know he knocked the game off course." Another commented: "Uncloaked completely avoiding mentioning James A," while a third added: "Loved the finale of Traitors. Great endgame; James B shot himself in the foot. What was noticeable was no mention of James Acaster in Uncloaked."
One viewer wrote: "I hope James Acaster is ok. No appearance and not even mentioned on the Uncloaked show," as another simply asked: "Is James Acaster ok?" The Uncloaked finale traditionally reunites the celebrities to look back on their journey throughout the series, but this year a number of cast members chose not to attend the recording.
Winners and next series
Many fans were thrilled to see Romesh and Sebastian crowned the 2026 champions; however, some were adamant that no comedians should take part next year. One fan complained on social media, "This series has been ruined by the comedians." Another viewer declared: "Next year we need more variety in contestants, not just actors and comedians." "The next series needs FAR less comedians," someone else agreed, while another continued, "No more comedians next year. They can't be trusted #CelebrityTraitors."
While this series of Celebrity Traitors has drawn to a close, the BBC has confirmed that Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise will broadcast two episodes from series three in its slot next Friday.
