Celebrity Traitors fans were perplexed when comedian James Acaster seemingly went unmentioned in spin-off show The Traitors Uncloaked, after a hair-raising grand finale.
In the final episode of this year’s series, viewers watched as Faithfuls Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft triumphed over the Traitors and took home a shared prize of £83,000 for their chosen charities.
The Traitors were a man down after the semi-final on Thursday – with James Acaster confessing during the roundtable meeting to being recruited, in a show first.
The comedian had been interrogated ahead of the banishment vote by co-star Michael Sheen, who’d worked out that Acaster was involved with Ross Kemp’s murder in plain sight earlier in the series.
It was reported that filming of the episode was paused so producers could intervene when Acaster became distressed. The BBC responded with a statement, saying that its “highest priority is always the safety and welfare of everyone taking part”.
A spokesperson added: “Players are closely monitored and supported throughout by production which includes a dedicated and experienced welfare team.”
On Friday night, as Ed Gamble and host Claudia Winkleman discussed the final with contestants Ranganathan, James Blunt, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and King Kenny, fans noticed Acaster’s conspicuous absence from the conversation.
“I hope James Acaster is OK,” TV host Dan Walker remarked on X. “No appearance and not even mentioned on the Uncloaked show.”
“Strange not mentioned on the Uncloaked show,” another fan agreed.
“I’m sad not to see James Acaster on Uncloaked,” one fan wrote. “If you saw Alan Carr collapse in tears at the end of the last #CelebrityTraitors you’ll know that lying does not sit well with some people. Some of the negative comments are really upsetting and I hope James is ok.”
Acaster was not the only star to skip the Uncloaked final: Bella Ramsay, Michael Sheen, Joanna McNally, Rob Beckett, Sharon Rooney, Myha’la, Jerry Hall, and Maya Jama were also absent.
The Independent has contacted Acaster’s representative and the BBC for comment.
This series of Celebrity Traitors has been a ratings winner for the BBC, brining in 15 million viewers at its peak, even amid disgruntlement over how the show unfolded.
Thursday’s semi-final was watched by its biggest live audience to date, with 10.7 million tuning in, with a 62 per cent share of Thursday night’s viewership.
Not everyone was impressed, however, with The Independent’s critic Nick Hilton branding it an anti-climactic finish in a three-star review.
“There’s a nagging sense that the show got a little carried away on the success of the first series,” he wrote. “After seeing Alan Carr ascend to national treasure status, as well as Nick Mohammed’s meteoric rise, every comedian in the country wanted onto the show. The producers clearly over-booked British comedians, with the likes of Rob Beckett and Joe Lycett getting lost in the scrum.”
Unprecedented confessions from Traitors Richard E Grant and Acaster “hindered the overall game”, he argued, despite making for great TV.
“Serenity, then, is needed by the show’s producers to accept those game-breaking indiscretions, but more wisdom, next time, to cast people who want to be – and know how to be – effective Traitors.”
The show’s civilian version, The Traitors, will return for its fifth series in January 2027.
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