James Acaster has rejected a report that he complained to producers about being teased by fellow contestants Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan during “The Celebrity Traitors,” calling the claims “completely fabricated.”
Speaking on a podcast hosted by the show’s first-season winner, Alan Carr, Acaster said he had been friends with Beckett and Ranganathan for more than a decade and that they were “lovely” throughout filming. He said he had not complained about any of the other players.
Acaster also said the report had been put to the agents for him, Beckett and Ranganathan, who all said it was untrue. The BBC, which produces the U.K. franchise, separately denied the claims, saying there had been no incidents of teasing and no evidence to support allegations of complaints about it. The Daily Mail did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
Acaster’s comments came after the second season finale aired. He was a Traitor but resisted lying and taking part in some of the role’s duties. In the penultimate episode, he admitted his role at a tense roundtable and was voted out. Ranganathan went on to win with fellow Faithful Sebastian Croft.
On Carr’s podcast, Acaster also described an exchange with contestant Jerry Hall that did not appear in the broadcast. He said Hall confronted him and accused him of being a Traitor; Acaster replied that he thought she might be right.
Sources: Variety.