The Celebrity Traitors bosses have responded to reports of an incident involving contestant James Acaster during filming last year.
James is one of 21 contestants who took part in the new series, which premieres on BBC One on Thursday night.
Over the weekend, The Sun published a piece suggesting that the pressure of the game began to get to the comedian, to the point that his co-stars stepped in to suggest that filming be paused to allow him to “have a breather” and collect himself.
The tabloid cited a “source” who said that “production were in agreement” that the cameras should briefly stop rolling to give James some time to “calm down” and continue the game.
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A Celebrity Traitors spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “The Traitors is a unique and immersive game, and we recognise that taking part can be intense at times.
“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.”
James Acaster’s team had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative
In the past, James has been open about his experiences of anxiety and depression, including in his 2019 memoir Perfect Sound Whatever.
He told iNews in 2022: “I always thought talking about mental health wasn’t a taboo thing. Whenever anyone said ‘it’s important that we talk about it’, it always felt like ‘well, yeah. I’ve always been open with my friends, even when I was a teenager’.
“Talking about my feelings was always something I did a lot anyway. So I didn’t really see it as a big deal. The only reason I didn’t talk about my feelings in stand-up was because I thought, ‘that will be self indulgent so I won’t do it’.”
Speaking to the BBC ahead of filming, the Off Menu host opened up about his reasons for agreeing to take part in the new series of Celebrity Traitors.
“I’m a huge fan and have been since series one,” he revealed. “I instantly got addicted to it when I started watching. I think I started watching it halfway through the first series, so I was catching up on iPlayer. I did all of it in one night and then got really frustrated that I had to wait for all the other episodes.
“And then I really loved the first Celebrity series and instantly became jealous that I wasn’t doing it. I had to get in here!”
“I’m not very competitive,” he claimed. “I just like how fun [games and puzzles] are, the joy in trying to do the thing rather than [being] determined to come out on top. It does mean I’m never too disappointed.”
He added that he was keen not to be picked as a Traitor, noting: “I’d like to be a Faithful. This is the only time I’ll be able to play it, and I like being in a position of figuring something out rather than having the information the Traitors have.”
When is The Celebrity Traitors back for season 2, and who is in the cast?
The Celebrity Traitors returns on Thursday 1 October at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Here’s the full list of stars on the line-up:
- Amol Rajan
- Bella Ramsey
- Professor Hannah Fry
- James Acaster
- James Blunt
- Jerry Hall
- Joanne McNally
- Joe Lycett
- Julie Hesmondhalgh
- Kenny Oghenovo “King Kenny” Ojuederie
- Leigh-Anne Pinnock
- Maya Jama
- Michael Sheen
- Miranda Hart
- Myha’la
- Richard E Grant
- Rob Beckett
- Romesh Ranganathan
- Ross Kemp
- Sebastian Croft
- Sharon Rooney
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
