Traitors’ James Acaster found happiness after breakdown amid fears over ending his life

As Celebrity Traitors returns, candid comedian James Acaster has overcome a lot to find himself in the famous Castle after addressing some of his severe mental health struggles

James Acaster is planning to exterminate the Traitors after slaying some very significant demons of his own.

Back in 2017, the man who makes people laugh for a living found himself in a very dark place. Comedian James had split with his girlfriend, and entered what he calls a a period of significant mental stress, which culminated in thoughts of suicide.

His path back to happiness was tricky to nagivate, but thanks to therapy and listening in to many albums from 2016 he began to understand his mental health and get his career firmly back on track in the process.

But the problems are still present. Celebrity Traitors reportedly had to pause filming when he became “very anxious” on set and begun to panic whilst production on the show was underway. His fans will hope it’s simply a bump in the road after he previously spoke about a very difficult time in the 41-year-old’s life.

It was after his relationship was abruptly ended eight years ago that his struggles came to the surface.

“That was went I started having serious suicidal thoughts for the first time,” he said previously on the Perfect Sounds podcast. “I didn’t attempt it. I was in New York, the first time I’d ever been, which should have been really exciting.

“Instead I’d find myself thinking about ways I could kill myself. That scared me. I’m very lucky, personality-wise, that as soon as I recognise something needs doing, I’ll do it. So as soon as I got back to England I booked a therapy session.”

He says that decision changed it all as he began to slowly understand more the challenges he faces in life.

James didn’t stop, and says the power of talking is what turned his life around just when things were really starting to get on top of him.

Asked a couple of years ago if he still attends therapy now, he said: “I tend to go every other week. There is still some stuff I want to figure out and understand a bit more.

“There have been three points in my life where things have fallen apart. I’d be pretty naïve to think it won’t happen again. What I’d like is to understand why those three times happened, so if it happens again I can be more on top of it.

“I’m enjoying my career and my relationship…I’m not crippled by anxiety or waking up depressed. While I’m lucky enough to be in this happy period in my life, I’d like to understand those periods of my life when I wasn’t happy, so I’m more prepared if it happens again.”