James Blunt on James Acaster’s Celebrity Traitors exit: ‘You didn’t see full extent’ - The Independent
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Celebrity Traitors’ recent series saw James Acaster do something no one on the show has ever done before, when he prematurely confessed to being a Traitor at a roundtable – and now co-star James Blunt has revealed the build-up to that moment that didn’t make the edit.
The “You’re Beautiful” singer has claimed that viewers “didn’t see the full extent” of Acaster being interrogated at the roundtable and that the comedian “didn’t fall on his sword”.
In the penultimate episode of the BBC competition, Acaster revealed himself to be a Traitor before the votes were cast after being questioned by Michael Sheen over his role in Ross Kemp’s murder-in-plain-sight. Unsurprisingly, Acaster was banished and the Faithful – Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft – went on to win Celebrity Traitors 2026.
Speaking to BBC News about the jaw-dropping moment, Blunt – a Faithful who made it to the final episode before being banished by Ranganathan and Croft – said: “He didn’t fall on his sword. That’s what you saw, that’s what you feel, but he didn’t.
“You didn't see the full extent of the interrogation. It was heavy in there and it was clear-cut. He was pinned to a post. We got him. We really, really got him.”
He added that the true sequence of events “hasn’t really been revealed” to viewers. “He didn’t just say, ‘Oh guys, you got me.’” According to the BBC report, Blunt hinted that Acaster was caught in a fib about a perfume bottle used in the murder.
Addressing the editing of the series, Blunt said that there were elements of the show where he was “screaming at the screen for a different reason than” viewers. “No matter what really went on in that castle, you’re a victim to the edit.”
The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.
It was reported that filming of the penultimate episode was halted so producers could intervene when Acaster became distressed at the roundtable. In a statement, the BBC said 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.”
Blunt isn’t the only Celebrity Traitors star to speak out about the moment; Acaster’s fellow Traitor Maya Jama said in a recent interview that the game was “a lot” for the comedian.
“Bless him,” she said. “Never in a game would you expect that you’re going to be put in a situation where you absolutely hate being a Traitor. And I obviously had no idea beforehand that he didn’t want to be a Traitor, I just thought everyone’s kind of up for it.
“But yeah, it was hard. I don’t think anybody knows how it would feel once you’re in the situation, and that’s going to impact everyone completely differently. As he said, for him it was a lot,” she added. “You’re like, ‘OK, this is a game, we’re playing for charity.’ But then these people have real feelings, and trying to find the balance between it is tougher than it looks.”
Over 11.2 million people tuned in to watch Ranganathan and Croft split the £83,000 prize pot on Friday, making it the highest-ever overnight audience for the show.
