Comedian James Acaster was banished from BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors reality game show during a dramatic penultimate episode, after admitting to his fellow contestants at the roundtable that he was reluctantly playing as a Traitor.
The Bottom Line
- James Acaster confessed to being a Traitor during Thursday’s roundtable discussion, leading to his immediate banishment from the BBC series.
- Contestant King Kenny deployed a special double dagger power to banish Joanne McNally ahead of Friday’s final.
- The remaining contestants successfully matched celebrity heads to buried bodies during the latest mission, adding £5,000 to bring the prize pot to a total of £64,500.
The Roundtable Confession and Banishment of James Acaster
The penultimate episode of the reality game show reached a boiling point when James Acaster became the center of suspicion during a conversation regarding Ross Kemp’s plain sight murder. Struggling to defend himself against mounting pressure led by Michael Sheen, Acaster ultimately confessed his secret role to the group.
I just want to explain my situation, I was made a Traitor without wanting to be, I’ve had a unique experience on this that no-one’s had before, where I wanted to be a faithful and that’s all I’ve wanted to be.
Acaster explained that he had purposely pointed out the perfume bottles used to eliminate Kemp. After receiving the most votes at the roundtable, the comedian reflected on his run:
When I came into this experience I told Claudia that all I wanted to be was a Faithful, and all I wanted to do is go around this castle and try and help the Faithfuls as much as possible catching Traitors. I’m really proud to say that’s what I’ve been able to do, under the circumstances. I am, reluctantly, a Traitor.
In a separate cutaway interview, Acaster added, I’m glad that I was so Faithful, that I couldn’t make it to the end as a Traitor.
Michael Sheen and James Blunt Drive the Inquisitions
Heat accumulated quickly across the castle as other contestants faced intense scrutiny from their peers. Michael Sheen spearheaded the initial accusations against Acaster, pointing out that Acaster was the sole player who failed to leave the library during Kemp’s elimination.
At the same time, James Blunt targeted Sheen, labeling him the group’s “father” figure who had inadvertently steered the traitors in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, Romesh Ranganathan cast suspicion on Blunt, while Sheen noted that quieter contestants like Acaster and Maya Jama had managed to avoid suspicion entirely up to that point.
King Kenny Secures the Double Dagger Power
Prior to Acaster’s dramatic exit, actress Sharon Rooney had been murdered, while Joanne McNally was banished from the castle ahead of Friday’s final. King Kenny held the decisive final vote alongside a special double dagger power granting him two votes at the roundtable, which he used to eliminate McNally.
Reflecting on her departure, McNally shared her emotions with the group:
I’ve had such an amazing time with all of you, it’s been one of the best experiences of my adult life, I actually feel emotional… It has been amazing, thanks so much for all making it what it was, I’m premenstrual. I’ve had such a great time, I am a hardcore faithful.
King Kenny had secured the special advantage after he, Jama, and Acaster were designated as the most trusted players by their fellow contestants during a challenge. Following Rooney’s murder, the actress guessed that Jama was responsible, stating, I think this was Maya Jama, I think that is her love heart and her kisses.
Mission Success Boosts the Grand Final Prize Pot
| Mission Activity | Task Details | Financial Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Head and Body Matching | Contestants relayed screams from the lab to the garden to match severed heads with buried bodies. | Added £5,000 to the prize pot |
| Total Series Pot | Accumulated funds heading into the final episodes. | Raised to a total of £64,500 |
Away from the roundtable drama, the celebrities completed a physical mission designed to test communication and memory. Contestants split into two groups—one stationed in the lab with severed heads of departed players and another working in the garden alongside the buried bodies.
Participants in the lab communicated via screams to help their teammates in the garden correctly match every single head to its corresponding body. The successful completion of the challenge secured £5,000 for the cumulative prize pot, pushing the total to £64,500 as the competition hurtles toward Friday’s final.
