James Acaster accused of ‘ruining’ BBC Celebrity Traitors as angry fans blast comedian’s ‘unforgivable’ move

The 41-year-old buckled under sustained questioning from actor Michael Sheen, who had pieced together evidence linking Mr Acaster to Ross Kemp’s murder in plain sight.

“I just want to explain my situation. I was made a Traitor without wanting to be,” Mr Acaster told his stunned fellow contestants.

“I’ve had a unique experience on this that no one has had before, where I wanted to be a Faithful; that’s all I wanted to be. I couldn’t just go, ‘Guys, it’s me, vote for me.’ But that’s all I can do, really.”

The confession left the remaining players visibly gobsmacked and immediately reshaped the entire game heading into Friday’s finale.

Mr Sheen constructed his theory around which players had been present in the room when Mr Kemp was believed to have been killed during the plain-sight murder, immediately placing all three Traitors – Maya Jama, King Kenny and Mr Acaster – under suspicion.

He then narrowed his focus to Mr Acaster specifically. “The one person who didn’t leave the library and go into the atrium and is still here is you,” Mr Sheen declared.

Mr Acaster himself appeared genuinely impressed by the logic, conceding: “I understand how you’ve put it all together. I can’t really argue that it sounds feasible.”

Mr Acaster had been recruited as a Traitor in the second episode despite desperately wanting to play as a Faithful. “I’m glad that I was so Faithful, that I couldn’t make it to the end as a Traitor,” he told the camera.

After receiving a unanimous vote for banishment, Mr Acaster said he was “really proud” to have helped the Faithfuls catch Traitors under difficult circumstances, describing the moment as a “weight lifted off his shoulders.”

While his castmates applauded Mr Acaster for his honesty, viewers at home weren’t quite as understanding. The comedian faced fury from fans who felt he “ruined” the game at one of its most pivotal moments.

“Sorry that was embarrassing,” one fan fumed on X. “Why would you sign up to The TRAITORS and then spoil the actual game because you didn’t want to be a Traitor? I can’t believe it. Hope they slashed his fee #CelebrityTraitors.” (sic)

A second similarly hit out: “If every Traitor outed themselves as a Traitor at the roundtable while under suspicion, there literally wouldn’t be a show. That’s why people don’t like what James A did, and that’s totally fair #TheCelebrityTraitors #CelebrityTraitors.”

Meanwhile, a third slammed: “James Acaster is the main reason #CelebrityTraitors has been boring this year. If you didn’t want to be a Traitor, James, you could have done us all a favour and walked the day you were picked!”

And a fourth concurred: “I KNEW James Acaster was gonna ruin the game like that… If you sign up for The Traitors you should expect to be a faithful OR a traitor at any point. It’s actually a shame, he’s been killing the vibe of the whole game since the beginning. #CelebrityTraitors.” (sic)

Amid the furore, however, were some viewers who jumped to the comedian’s defence. Labour MP Sam Rushworth was among them, typing: “James Acaster is a fantastic male role model: decent, honest, and open.

“His discomfort at deceiving people on #TheCelebrityTraitors was relatable for many, and his roundtable confession made cracking TV.”

And a second hit out at the backlash: “Bored of the James Acaster rants already. Honestly, I gasped when he revealed himself because I didn’t expect him to do it.

“If every series of Traitors was played identically by all players, it’d rapidly become so dull. Plus #CelebrityTraitors isn’t that deep. It’s for charity.” (sic)

Heading into Friday’s final, Mr Acaster’s decision has left fellow Traitors Maya Jama and King Kenny in a vulnerable position.

They’ll face Faithfuls Michael Sheen, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Sebastian Croft, Romesh Ranganathan, and James Blunt to see who will emerge victorious.

The final will run for an extended 80 minutes with £64,500 in the prize pot at stake.