Richard Osman suggests how Celebrity Traitors will change after James Acaster situation - The Independent
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Richard Osman has given his verdict on how Celebrity Traitors producers will change the show after James Acaster’s bombshell revelation in the semi-final last week.
The 41-year-old comedian flipped the series on its head as he confessed to being a Traitor after some mild questioning from Michael Sheen at the roundtable.
While Acaster has been praised for staying true to himself and playing the game his way, his admission undeniably changed the game – and saw him break the Traitors’ oath to never reveal their identity.
On a special episode of his podcast The Rest is Entertainment, Osman – a former TV producer whose credits include 8 Out of 10 Cats – described Acaster’s confession as “a hand grenade, for sure”.
Addressing how the producers might adjust their approach to casting, he said: “So, I think the next series they’ll really look for game players. People from sport or with that sort of background… You need just a couple of game players to be in there.
“Bella was the big game player on this one and was banished very, very early. You can never do the perfect casting because people will be kicked out. But I think the thing they will be looking for is people who want to absolutely explore the full limits of what it is to play that game.”
Acaster’s exit left his fellow Traitors in a difficult position and OG Traitor Maya Jama was voted out just before end game.
After the remaining players banished Leigh-Anne Pinnock, the last Traitor standing, King Kenny, was the next to go – before James Blunt spectacularly shot himself in the foot and secured his own banishment at the final hurdle.
Sebastian Croft and Romesh Ranganathan then won together as Faithfuls, splitting the £83,000 prize pot between their two charities.
Speaking on spin-off show Uncloaked after his exit aired, Acaster told host Ed Gamble he thought his final roundtable was a “shocker”. “I went in thinking, ‘I’ve got no heat on me whatsoever,’” he explained. “It was sprung on me.”
The BBC also issued a statement amid claims producers stepped in to stop filming after Acaster became visibly distressed during the banishment.
“Our highest priority is always the safety and welfare of everyone taking part,” the statement read. “Players are closely monitored and supported throughout by production which includes a dedicated and experienced welfare team.”
Putting forward a theory for Acaster’s shock decision, Osman said: “James Acaster throughout this whole process has been looking for an exit door [...] where he doesn't blow up the whole show especially, where he doesn’t just quit on the whole thing.
“I think he just took the opportunity. I think he didn’t want to go into that endgame. He didn’t want to go into the bit where you’re really going to have to look people in the eye face to face and just say, ‘Yes it was me.’”
