James Acaster Denies Feud Reports and Shares Cut Traitors Scene
The comedian has strongly dismissed tabloid claims that he filed a complaint against co-stars Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan during his time on The Celebrity Traitors.
Comedian James Acaster has forcefully rejected recent media reports claiming he lodged an official complaint against his co-stars Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan while filming the reality television program The Celebrity Traitors. Speaking on Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast, Acaster labeled the rumors as completely fabricated and clarified that he maintains a friendship of over a decade with both comedians.
The controversy stemmed from a front-page story published last month by The Mail on Sunday, which alleged that Acaster grew uncomfortable and upset over macho banter and teasing from Beckett and Ranganathan. According to the initial report, Acaster reportedly approached the production team to express his frustration at being singled out. Over the weekend, the newspaper doubled down on the claims, suggesting the friction involved jokes directed at Acaster's middle-class background.
Addressing the allegations during the podcast, Acaster expressed disbelief over the claims. "I've never had stuff made up about me before," he told Carr, who won the first season of the BBC series. Acaster noted that when the newspaper reached out prior to publication, representatives for all three comedians categorically denied that any such dispute had taken place. Despite their denials, the story was still published.
The BBC also issued a firm denial regarding the allegations of on-set tension. A network spokesperson stated that claims of cast teasing and subsequent complaints are entirely untrue, emphasizing that no incidents of this nature occurred and that no evidence supports the allegations.
In addition to addressing the tabloid reports, Acaster revealed details about a notable interaction from the show that never made it to the final broadcast. He shared that he actually confessed to being a Traitor to fellow contestant Jerry Hall earlier in the series after she confronted him with her suspicions. "I looked her in the eye and said, 'I think it might be me too, Jerry,' and she said, 'You're very sneaky,'" Acaster recalled, adding that he assumed the revealing exchange would definitely be included in the final edit.
Acaster also discussed his memorable self-outing during the penultimate episode's roundtable, which shocked viewers and fellow players alike. He explained that a significant portion of his roundtable contributions were omitted from the final cuts to keep the voting outcomes surprising for audiences. "Most of the time, they want to keep how the Traitors vote as a surprise," he explained.
The first season of The Celebrity Traitors concluded with Faithfuls Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft securing victory after successfully banishing the remaining Traitors, Maya Jama and King Kenny, to claim the charity prize pot. Ranganathan directed his winnings to the Refugee Council, while Croft chose to support Choose Love.