Fans of Celebrity Traitors have accused the BBC of quietly erasing James Acaster from the show after he was neither present nor mentioned during the Uncloaked final. The comedian, who was the second longest-serving Traitor, was absent from the studio as the cast gathered to discuss the grand finale.
During the episode, viewers saw the Faithful, Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft, defeat the Traitors and take home a shared £83,000 prize for their chosen charities. James Blunt and Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock were among those left out, though the Faithful did successfully banish Traitors King Kenny and Maya Jama.
Fans question Acaster's absence
As host Claudia Winkleman and Ed Gamble spoke to Romesh, James B, Leigh-Anne and Kenny about the finale, viewers noticed that neither the cast nor the hosts appeared to be talking about James Acaster. This perplexed and worried fans, given that he was one of the show's biggest personalities and was involved in one of its most dramatic moments.
TV host Dan Walker wrote on X: 'I hope James Acaster is ok. No appearance and not even mentioned on the Uncloaked show.' Dr Andy Hershon asked: '[Is] James Acaster ok? Strange not mentioned on the Uncloaked show.' @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.'
Online speculation grows
On Reddit, user u/travelprofessor asked fellow fans, 'Why is nobody mentioning James Acaster? It's like it never happened, bizarre.' Helebell24 replied: 'None of the celebrities are even mentioning his name. It's like they've all been briefed before the show not to speak about him.' CoolRanchBaby noted: 'It's weirder they have just like erased him than if they'd just mentioned him as part of the show. They don't need to talk about what happened that wasn't shown or anything. Acting like he didn't exist is making it a "thing".'
The absence sparked speculation about why James skipped the Uncloaked final, especially after earlier reports that filming had been halted during his last roundtable as he struggled with the pressure. A source told the Daily Mail: 'The pressure got to him, and it was clear he was finding it difficult. Everyone agreed filming should be stopped before things got too heated. Everyone was aware of the pressure getting to James throughout the series; it was difficult to watch him struggling.'
BBC response and other absences
In a statement, the BBC told Metro: '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.'
It was also noted that James was not the only star to miss the Uncloaked final. Bella Ramsay, Michael Sheen, Joanna McNally, Rob Beckett, Sharon Rooney, Myha'la, Jerry Hall and Maya Jama were also absent from the studio. Other fans pointed out that Uncloaked does not recap the entire series, adding that other banished players were not mentioned by name either. Cake Bake fake wrote on Reddit: 'Loads of people are missing from the live Uncloaked show – and they're not being mentioned either: Bella, Sharon, Jerry Hall.'
Metro has approached James Acaster and the BBC for comment.
