BBC breaks silence on reports Celebrity Traitors filming was paused over James Acaster - The Independent

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The BBC has addressed reports that producers were forced to stop filming The Celebrity Traitors after James Acaster became distressed during filming of the penultimate episode.

The 41-year-old comedian was voted out of the BBC competition on Thursday after revealing to his fellow contestants that he had been recruited as a Traitor.

According to The Sun, filming was paused so producers could intervene after Acaster became upset. The newspaper also reported that he had received a welfare check before the roundtable.

In response, a BBC spokesperson said: “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.”

A representative for Acaster declined to comment.

Acaster began the game as a faithful but was recruited as a traitor and struggled with the new role.

The comedian fell under suspicion at the roundtable after a discussion about former EastEnders star Ross Kemp’s murder in plain sight, in which he struggled to defend himself.

He told the contestants: “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.

“I couldn’t just go ‘guys, it’s me, vote for me’, but that’s all I can do really.”

Acaster said he had pointed out the perfume bottles, which killed Kemp, on purpose.

After receiving the most votes at the roundtable, the comedian said: “When I came into this experience, I told Claudia [Winkleman, the show’s presenter] 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.”

Acaster is the second Traitor this series to reveal their true identity before getting caught, after Richard E Grant accidentally revealed he was a Traitor moments after being chosen.

Earlier in Thursday’s episode, actress Sharon Rooney was murdered and comedian Joanne McNally was banished from the castle.

Traitors, TV presenter Maya Jama and social media star King Kenny, and Faithfuls, singer James Blunt, Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock, actor Michael Sheen, comedian Romesh Ranganathan, and actor Sebastian Croft, are left to compete in Friday’s final.

Viewers did not get an indication of who Jama and King Kenny were planning to murder at the end of Thursday’s show.

Jama attracted heat during the beginning of the episode, when she toasted her fellow contestants by saying: “To killing them, banishing them even.”

During Thursday’s mission, contestants collected £5,000 for the prize pot, bringing it to a total of £64,500.

21 celebrity contestants take part in the show, with those assigned as Faithful attempting to identify the contestants who have been made Traitors. The Traitors “kill off” players in the middle of the night.

They are playing the game at Ardross Castle in the Highlands, with a cash prize of up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice up for grabs.

The Celebrity Traitors final will air on BBC One at 8pm on Friday.