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James Acaster denies reporting co-stars over teasing on The Celebrity Traitors
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
James Acaster has again rejected claims that he complained to producers about teasing by fellow contestants Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan on The Celebrity Traitors. He said the report was fabricated, adding that the comedians, whom he has known for more than ten years, were lovely throughout filming.
The Mail on Sunday had cited unnamed sources alleging Acaster was upset by jokes about his background and felt singled out; the paper reportedly published the claims after agents for all three comedians said they were untrue. The BBC also denied there had been teasing or complaints, saying there were no such incidents and no evidence for the allegations. Acaster said he told fellow contestant Jerry Hall that he might be a traitor, but the exchange was cut from the programme.
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In short
- Acaster again calls the complaint report fabricated.
- Beckett and Ranganathan were, he says, lovely throughout filming.
- The BBC also denied the allegations.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Acaster added that the Mail on Sunday had been told by the comedians’ agents that the allegations were untrue before publication, and said his conversation with Jerry Hall about possibly being a traitor was cut from the programme.
- 1 hour ago James Acaster denied reports that he had complained to producers about teasing by Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan on The Celebrity Traitors, while the BBC said it had found no evidence of teasing or complaints.
Full account
James Acaster has rejected reports that he complained to producers about being teased by fellow contestants Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan during The Celebrity Traitors. Speaking on Alan Carr’s Life’s a Beach podcast, the comedian described the claims as fabricated and said Beckett and Ranganathan had been kind to him throughout filming. He said the three had been friends for more than a decade and that he had not complained about any of the other players.
The reports, published by the Mail on Sunday, attributed the story to unnamed sources. An earlier account said Acaster had become upset by jokes at his expense and had raised the matter with the production team. A later report added that the jokes concerned his middle-class background, and that he felt this created an additional difficulty during the game. Acaster said the newspaper had contacted his representatives and those of Beckett and Ranganathan, who all denied the claims, but published the story regardless.
The BBC also rejected the allegations. Its spokesperson said there had been no incidents of teasing of this kind and no complaints about it, adding that there was no evidence to support the claims. Variety reported that the Daily Mail had not immediately responded to a request for comment. Acaster’s denial and the BBC’s statement therefore stand in the supplied reports alongside the Mail’s accounts from unnamed sources.
The podcast conversation also touched on Acaster’s game. He said he had told fellow contestant Jerry Hall that he might be a Traitor when she confronted him, but that exchange was left out of the broadcast. His more dramatic admission came at a roundtable in the penultimate episode, after which he was voted out. The programme’s second series concluded over the weekend; Variety noted that Beckett’s comedy partner Ranganathan won with Faithful contestant Sebastian Croft.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The Mail on Sunday reports, cited by both accounts, rely on unnamed sources and describe alleged teasing and a complaint to producers; Acaster and the BBC categorically deny that anything of the sort happened.
The first source includes the Mail’s further claim about jokes concerning Acaster’s middle-class background and gives more detail from the newspaper’s alleged source. The second focuses on the initial report and adds that the Daily Mail had not immediately replied to Variety’s request for comment.
The second source supplies more context about the series ending, including Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft’s win and Acaster’s exit. The first instead foregrounds the BBC denial and the unbroadcast exchange with Jerry Hall.
Explained simply
The Celebrity Traitors is a version of the BBC’s Traitors competition featuring well-known contestants. Players take on secret roles as either Traitors, who try to deceive the others, or Faithfuls, who work to identify them.
James Acaster, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are British comedians who have known one another for years. The programme is filmed before being edited for broadcast, so conversations between contestants may not appear in the episodes.
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Originally published by Deadline as “‘The Celebrity Traitors’ Star James Acaster Trashes Report That He Made Complaint About Co-Stars”.