James Acaster, a contestant on BBC's "Celebrity Traitors," has revealed an intense face-to-face encounter with Jerry Hall that was ultimately cut from the show. Acaster, who was a Traitor in the second series, recalled Hall confronting him directly about his secret identity.
Speaking on "Life's a Beach" podcast with Alan Carr, Acaster described Hall approaching him and stating, "I think it's James!" Instead of denying the accusation, Acaster replied, "I think it might be me as well, Jerry." He recalled Hall observing, "You're very sneaky," to which he responded, "I am sneaky, and it could be me." The interaction concluded with Hall moving away, leaving Acaster surprised when the exchange was omitted from the final edit.
Acaster, 41, noted that viewers saw only a fraction of his contributions during the show's roundtable discussions. He explained that producers frequently edited out his comments to maintain suspense about the Traitors' intentions and voting strategies. "Most of the time, they want to keep how the Traitors vote as a surprise," he said.
The comedian also shed light on a particularly challenging task where contestants were buried alive in coffins. The ordeal was prolonged when Hall used the safe word "Haggis" to be released, an act Acaster found commendable. "I respect Jerry the most because Jerry just went, 'I'm not doing this,'" he stated. The remaining contestants, including Acaster and Bella Ramsey, were left underground while producers managed Hall's exit and repositioned cameras. Acaster described the extended wait and the subsequent difficulty of digging up graves in hardened ground.
Acaster, who later orchestrated his own exit in the semi-final, admitted that the pressure of the game affected him. He revealed that filming was paused during a tense roundtable discussion when he became anxious. Despite his efforts as a Traitor, he stated he was "reluctantly, a Traitor," feeling a sense of relief upon his unmasking.
He also touched upon the strict control contestants were under during filming, including limited supervised walks and car journeys with blacked-out windows. This contrasted with instances like comedian Joe Wilkinson reportedly getting lost by production staff during a run.