Despite James Acaster’s ability to stay calm and collected on stage, he was said to have been ‘very anxious and panicked’ when filming The Celebrity Traitors
The series starts later this week(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative)
We are just days away from the return of The Celebrity Traitors. Series two will be airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday, October 1, with 21 new stars ready to take on the game of deception.
One of the celebs set to take part in the series is comedian James Acaster, who is known for his quick wit and for co-hosting the Off Menu podcast alongside his comedy colleague Ed Gamble, who also fronts Traitors spin-off programme The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked.
Despite his ability to stay calm and collected when performing on stage, James was said to have been “very anxious and panicked” when filming The Celebrity Traitors. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
The Sun reported that the comedian became so distressed during filming that his fellow contestants and production staff intervened to halt recording.
The publication shared that the comedian grew noticeably anxious while filming sequences with his co-stars at Ardross Castle.
James’ co-stars then stepped in to voice their worries to the Studio Lambert production team, who opted to suspend the game to assess his wellbeing.
A source revealed to The Sun: “The show is incredibly intense and during one particular scene at the castle, James became very anxious and panicked.
“Some of the other celebrities on the show spoke up and said cameras should stop rolling so he could calm down, and production were in agreement as well. Everyone looks out for each other and there is a proper sense of camaraderie. It was good for James to have a breather, as everyone felt it was for the best.
“The break didn’t affect the outcome of the game at all, but showed just how passionate and tense everyone on set was. It’s easy to become fully immersed.”
A spokeswoman for The Celebrity Traitors commented: “The Traitors is a unique and immersive game, and we recognise that taking part can be intense at times.
“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.”
Fans of the show will have to wait to discover if James’ bout of anxiety will feature in the final edit of the series, when it airs on Thursday, October 1.
Speaking on why he signed up for The Celebrity Traitors, James said: “I just love it. I’m a huge fan and have been since series one. I instantly got addicted to it when I started watching.
“I think I started watching it halfway through the first series, so I was catching up on iPlayer. I did all of it in one night and then got really frustrated that I had to wait for all the other episodes. And then I really loved the first Celebrity series and instantly became jealous that I wasn’t doing it. I had to get in here!”
James asked his comic friends who appeared on the last year’s series for some advice before heading to the Scottish castle. He said: “I saw both Joe Wilkinson and Nick Mohammed after they’d done it and l said, ‘Yo, congrats! It was great!’
“They talked to me a bit about what it was like for them. I think they both had different experiences. Joe was very laid back, and Nick was very much trying to crack the case. I think I’m going to be a mix of the two.”
James did however express his concern over how many comedian are featuring in the new series. Rob Beckett, Joe Lycett, Romesh Ranganathan and Miranda Hart are all among the comic names set to feature on season two.
He said: “There will be suspicions that it’s going to be at least one of these guys, that we might form an alliance if we’re not broken apart. I think we’re going to be the first ones under the magnifying glass being looked at.
“Particularly at the beginning when you have absolutely nothing to go on. And then you consider that a comedian won last year with Alan Carr disarming everyone with jokes the whole time. He has tainted us all!
“[Professor] Hannah Fry will probably tell you that probability-wise, there’s most likely to be at least one comic chosen as a Traitor because there’s enough of us. Even though it could obviously easily be three people who aren’t comedians…I don’t know how it works out, but if maths turns against us we’re in big trouble.”
You can watch The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8pm on Thursday, October 1.
