Celebrity Traitors viewers were left completely floored by Thursday night's bombshell twist as James Acaster finally cracked under the pressure.
asserted
Acaster → leave → pressure
He has emerged as the unlikely heartthrob of the series, sailing through the competition largely unscathed.
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He → emerge → competition
But Acaster took centre stage on Thursday night, and in a show first, the comedian revealed he was a Traitor at the roundtable before the vote had even begun.
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vote → take → roundtable
Acaster and Maya Jama both came under fire, as the Faithfuls linked them to Ross Kemp's murder in plain sight.
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Faithfuls → come → sight
The Love Island host, 32, defended herself, particularly against Michael Sheen, 57, who said: ‘If you are Traitors, you’ve done it brilliantly.’
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you → defend → it
Sheen then turned to Acaster, 41, and quizzed him on the specifics of the murder in plain sight, including how he knew about the deadly perfume bottle.
‘I understand how you’ve put it all together,’ Acaster responded, adding: ‘I can’t really argue that it sounds feasible, and that sounds like it could have happened.
uncertain
it → turn → it
I can promise you that I didn’t spray him.’
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I → promise → him
James Acaster took centre stage on Thursday night, and in a show first, the comedian revealed he was a Traitor at the roundtable before the vote had even begun
Acaster and Maya Jama both came under fire, as the Faithfuls linked them to Ross Kemp's murder in plain sight
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Faithfuls → take → sight
Then, speaking to the group, he shockingly said: ‘I just want to explain my situation.
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I → speak → situation
I was made a Traitor without wanting to be.
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I → make → ?
‘I’ve had a unique experience on this that no one has had before, where I wanted to be a Faithful; that’s all I wanted to be.
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I → have → that
I couldn’t just go, “Guys, it’s me, vote for me.”
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it → go → me
But that’s all I can do, really.’
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I → ’ → ?
Filming was paused as Acaster became ‘anxious’ and had to gather himself before making his speech.
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Acaster → pause → speech
‘The pressure got to him, and it was clear he was finding it difficult.
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it → get → him
Everyone agreed filming should be stopped before things got too heated,’ one insider told the Daily Mail.
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insider → agree → Mail
‘Everyone was aware of the pressure getting to James throughout the series; it was difficult to watch him struggling.’
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him → get → series
Acaster received all of the votes, and before his exit told his fellow celebrities: ‘When I came into this experience, I told Claudia that all I wanted to be was a Faithful and all I wanted to do was go round this castle and help the Faithfuls as much as possible, catching Traitors.
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I → receive → Traitors
I’m really proud to say that’s what I’ve been able to do under the circumstances.
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I → ’m → circumstances
‘I am, reluctantly, a Traitor,’ he added, admitting a ‘weight has been lifted off his shoulders’.
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weight → add → shoulders
Producers are convinced it will be one of the most talked-about TV moments of the year and go viral online.
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it → convince → year
The explosive scene is also likely to boost ratings for the final.
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scene → boost → final
Michael Sheen, who Ms Jama had to defend herself against, said at the table: ‘If you are Traitors, you’ve done it brilliantly'
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you → have → it
Sheen then turned to Acaster and quizzed him on the specifics of the murder in plain sight, including how he knew about the deadly perfume bottle - before he finally cracked
Viewers also bid farewell to Faithful Joanne McNally, 43, who was banished during a tense roundtable after last week’s cliffhanger
Then it was Scottish actress Sharon Rooney who was brutally murdered by the Traitors
Fans dubbed the moment the most 'unprecedented twist in TV history' as they were left on the edge of their seats.
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they → turn → seats
Reacting to the scene, users on X wrote: 'Nah James A just gave up on the game completely what am I watching',
'JAMES JUST OUTING HIMSELF AS A TRAITOR AT THE ROUND TABLE', 'easily the most unprecedented twist in traitors history',
'Our entire living room when James Acaster said he was a traitor before the vote took place #CelebrityTraitors',
Ms Jama appeared defeated, telling viewers: ‘Tonight was the hardest night of the whole experience.
'
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Tonight → react → experience
I knew James didn’t want to be a Traitor after we chose him.
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we → know → him
There was not one piece of me that could jump up when he said he was a Traitor.
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he → be → me
I’ve played a good acting game so far, but that part I just couldn’t pretend.’
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I → play → game
Before the series began insiders revealed that Acaster had become so stressed while filming at Ardross Castle that it was his co-stars who flagged their concerns to producers.
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who → begin → producers
A source said at the time: 'The show is incredibly intense and during one particular scene at the castle, James became very anxious and panicked.
'
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James → say → castle
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.
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production → speak → agreement
'Everyone looks out for each other and there is a proper sense of camaraderie.
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Everyone → look → camaraderie
It was good for James to have a breather, as everyone felt it was for the best.'
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it → have → best
Acaster has previously referenced his autism diagnosis in his stand-up shows, discussing how neurodivergence shapes his perspective and creative process.
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neurodivergence → reference → perspective
The Traitors' downfall started earlier in the episode when they committed their sixth murder.
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they → start → murder
Acaster, Ms Jama, and King Kenny, 29, chose to kill Scottish actress Sharon Rooney, 38, despite the actress having heat on her from the previous roundtable.
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actress → choose → roundtable
‘This could actually ruin all of our futures,’ Ms Jama said, with Acaster adding: ‘This is a risky move, but I’m proud of us that we are taking such a big gamble at this point.’
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we → ruin → point
Earlier at the breakfast table, Ms Jama also made a slip-up, which luckily went undetected among the Faithfuls.
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which → make → Faithfuls
When discussing catching Traitors, she shouted, 'Let's murder them,' when she meant to say, 'Let's banish them'.
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's → discuss → them
Viewers also bid farewell to Faithful Joanne McNally, 43, who was banished after last week’s cliffhanger.
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who → bid → cliffhanger
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
