James Blunt has said the BBC edit of The Celebrity Traitors missed out a lot of the drama in the castle, claiming viewers “didn’t see the full extent” of what happened at the roundtable during the penultimate episode.
The singer, who made it to the final before being banished, spoke to the BBC about the moment comedian James Acaster admitted he was a Traitor. Acaster entered the game as a Faithful but was appointed by the Traitors after a few days in the castle. In a show first, he broke his façade at the roundtable during a tense episode, telling his co-stars he was responsible for murdering Ross Kemp in plain sight earlier in the series.
Blunt reveals unseen interrogation
Blunt suggested audiences did not see everything that happened. He 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.”
He 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’.”
Blunt and Acaster reflect on the experience
The “You're Beautiful” singer explained he was “screaming at the screen” while watching the series. He said: “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.”
Blunt admitted he had been hoping to leave the castle earlier on. 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.”
Acaster also spoke about his experience on Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked. He said: “They banished me, just in the nick of time. Episode nine, not bad. And, now we’ve got a proper final on our hands.” He added: “Don’t get me wrong I though it would be hilarious at one point that we [Traitors] were going to walk ourselves straight through to the final and win the whole thing. But this is much better isn’t it. That last roundtable, I went in thinking I’ve got no heat on me whatsoever. It was sprung on me, it was a surprise so that was a shocker. But I was glad they caught me.”
Welfare statement and winners
Following the episode, 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.”
In the end, it was Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian “Bash” Croft who were victorious, taking home their share of the prize money as Faithfuls during Friday's episode.
