James Acaster Told Off by BBC for Phone Call Slip-Up

Comedian James Acaster, 41, has revealed he was told off by BBC producers during his stint on Celebrity Traitors after a phone call with his partner. The incident occurred while he was staying at a Travelodge-style hotel, approximately an hour from the filming location in a Scottish castle ^[1]. Contestants are cut off from the outside world for up to three weeks, with only a 10-minute daily call allowed—monitored by a production team member to prevent leaks ^[2].

Acaster admitted he was reprimanded for saying he’d been outside during a mission, replying to his partner’s question about catching the sun. He said, "I was told I couldn’t even tell her that," highlighting the intense restrictions placed on communication ^[2]. The experience has been described as "intense," with one insider telling The Sun that James became visibly stressed, prompting production to pause filming to check on him.

According to one source, the claim that James became very anxious and panicked during a particular scene at the castle has not been confirmed ^[2]. This comes after Acaster was initially a Faithful before being recruited by Richard E Grant and Maya Jama, replacing journalist Amol Rajan ^[1].

Clare Balding, a previous contestant, also offered insight into the show’s behind-the-scenes dynamics, revealing that music is played before round table segments to enforce seriousness and prevent comedic distractions ^[1]. The psychological experiment aspect of the show has drawn attention, with Balding noting the difficulty of maintaining tension among naturally funny celebrities.

Celebrity Traitors returns to BBC One on Thursday at 8pm ^[1]. The story was first reported by Mirror and Metro.