James Acaster's Traitors confession to Jerry Hall 'was cut from show'

James Acaster has revealed he effectively confessed to being a Traitor to Jerry Hall during an unaired moment from The Celebrity Traitors.

The comedian, 41, admitted he was a Traitor during last week's tense Round Table after coming under serious suspicion for the first time in the BBC competition.

Acaster, who called himself “the reluctant Traitor”, revealed he had hinted at his identity earlier in the series, but the exchange never made the final edit.

Traitors King Kenny, Maya Jama and James Acaster

BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry

Recalling the encounter on Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast, he said: “They cut out of my one, Jerry Hall went right up to me, face-to-face, this close, and accused me of being a Traitor, and she said, ‘I think it’s James’.

“And I looked her in the eye and said, ‘I think it might be me as well, Jerry’, and she went, ‘you’re very sneaky’. I was like, ‘I am sneaky, and it could be me’, and then she was like, ‘mmm’, and then went away.

“I was like, ‘well, that’s surely that’s going in the edit’. No, nowhere to be seen.”

James Acaster explained that he hinted to Jerry Hall that he could be a Traitor

After the penultimate episode of the second series, which saw Acaster banished, reports emerged that filming was temporarily paused after Acaster became upset.

A BBC spokesperson later responded to the reports, saying: “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.”

A representative for Acaster declined to comment.

James Acaster was recruited to be a Traitor in the first episode

PA Media

Speaking on Carr’s podcast, Acaster also revealed he “said a lot more around that roundtable than the edit would suggest”, adding that producers wanted to keep the vote a surprise.

He also dismissed reports that he had fallen out with his friends, eventual winner Romesh Ranganathan and TV presenter Rob Beckett.

He said: “I think there was something in the papers that said I’d complained because Rob and Romesh had been like teasing me, so I’d complained to the… and I was like, ‘I’ve been friends with those guys for like over 10 years’.

“They were lovely the entire show, I didn’t complain about any of my fellow players, that is so completely fabricated.

“They contacted my agents and Rob and Romesh’s agents, all of them said that is categorically untrue, and they went, ‘cool, we’ll print it tomorrow’.”

Series two was ultimately won by Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft, who split the £83,000 prize fund between their chosen charities, Choose Love and the Refugee Council.