James Acaster has shared a hidden piece of The Celebrity Traitors history. The comedian revealed that he effectively confessed to being a Traitor during a face-to-face confrontation with Jerry Hall, but the entire exchange was left out of the final BBC broadcast.
Speaking on Alan Carr’s Life’s a Beach podcast, Acaster recalled how Hall, 70, approached him with her suspicions earlier in the series. Rather than denying it, the 41-year-old comedian gave an answer that all but confirmed her hunch. The moment was filmed, but never made it to air.
The Face-to-Face Moment Jerry Hall Got It Right
Hall, a former supermodel and ex-wife of Mick Jagger, had correctly worked out that Acaster was deceiving his fellow contestants. Acaster described the moment on the podcast, explaining that Hall went “right up to me face to face, this close, accused me of being a Traitor.”
“She said, ‘I think it’s James’. And I looked her in the eye and said, ‘I think it might be me as well, Jerry’.”
— James Acaster on Alan Carr’s Life’s a Beach podcast
Hall did not let him off easily. According to Acaster, she replied, “You’re very sneaky.” His response kept the game alive without telling a direct lie: “I am sneaky, and it could be me.” Hall simply said “Mmm,” and walked away.
Acaster was convinced the exchange would be a key part of the episode. “I was like, well, surely that’s going in the edit,” he said. But when the episode aired, the confrontation was nowhere to be seen.
Why the BBC Left the Confrontation Out
The decision to cut the Jerry Hall moment was not an accident. Acaster explained that The Traitors producers regularly remove round table contributions to keep the Traitors’ voting intentions a secret from viewers.
“Most of the time, they want to keep how the Traitors vote as a surprise. They don’t want to be like there’s hints that I might go one way or the other. So a lot of the time what I said at the round table is cut out.”
— James Acaster
The comedian admitted he “said a lot more around that round table than the edit would suggest”. His edit was shaped to preserve the shock of his eventual self-exposure, which became one of the most talked-about moments of the series.
The Round Table Revelation That Changed the Game
Acaster’s time on The Celebrity Traitors reached its peak during the penultimate episode. After coming under serious suspicion for the first time, he made an unprecedented move: he admitted to his fellow contestants that he was a Traitor.
“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.”
— James Acaster at the round table
He called himself “the reluctant Traitor” and told the group he could not simply say “Guys it’s me, vote for me,” but that was effectively what he was doing. The confession led to his banishment from the castle.
Reports of a Filming Pause and BBC Response
After the penultimate episode aired, reports emerged that filming had been temporarily paused because Acaster became upset. A BBC spokesperson addressed the reports with a statement.
“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.”
— BBC spokesperson
Acaster’s representative declined to comment on the reports. The comedian also used the podcast appearance to dismiss claims that he had fallen out with friends and fellow contestants Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett.
“I’ve been friends with those guys for like over 10 years. They were lovely the entire show, I didn’t complain about any of my fellow players, that is so completely fabricated.”
— James Acaster
The Finale: Faithfuls Take the Prize
The Celebrity Traitors series two concluded with a victory for the Faithfuls. Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian “Bash” Croft were crowned joint winners after the remaining Traitors, Maya Jama and King Kenny, were banished.
The winning pair split the £83,000 prize fund between their chosen charities. Ranganathan donated his £41,500 share to the Refugee Council, while Croft chose Choose Love, a charity supporting refugees and displaced people.
Maya Jama later reflected on Acaster’s round table confession in an interview with Variety.
“I know, bless him. 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.”
— Maya Jama
A Confession That Stayed Hidden Until Now
The Jerry Hall confrontation adds another layer to Acaster’s time on the show. Hall was eventually banished from the castle as a Faithful, while Acaster survived until the penultimate episode. The fact that she had correctly identified him so early—and that the exchange was filmed but never shown—highlights how much of the game takes place outside the final edit.
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The Celebrity Traitors is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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