By Basant El-Faramawy
James Blunt has disclosed new details about the unaired roundtable interrogation that led to James Acaster’s sudden confession to being a Traitor in the penultimate episode of the 2026 series of Celebrity Traitors. The Faithful contestant, who won alongside Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft, told Hits Radio that the televised version did not capture the full intensity of the confrontation.
Blunt describes ‘courtroom’ atmosphere
Blunt explained that he and fellow Faithful Michael Sheen had planned their line of questioning during the morning roundtable session. He said the interrogation became so thorough that Acaster was “pinned to a post” and that the comedian “didn’t fall on his sword” but was instead drilled down in what felt like a courtroom. Blunt added that viewers only saw Acaster saying “Oh guys, you got me,” but the reality was far more dramatic and harder than shown.
Perfume bottle murder task central to case
The interrogation focused on a mission from the previous week in which the Traitors — Acaster, Maya Jama, and King Kenny — were tasked with spraying a perfume bottle to induce a yawn and “kill” a player. They succeeded with Ross Kemp. Blunt hinted that Acaster was caught in a fib about the perfume bottle, which helped Sheen deliver a “knockout” line of questioning.
Filming halted over welfare concerns
According to a BBC report, filming of the penultimate episode was paused so producers could intervene when Acaster became distressed at the roundtable. The BBC stated that the safety and welfare of participants is its highest priority, with a dedicated welfare team monitoring players throughout production.
Maya Jama reflects on Acaster’s experience
Fellow Traitor Maya Jama said the game was “a lot” for Acaster, noting that no one expects to hate being a Traitor. She acknowledged the difficulty of balancing the game’s charitable premise with the real emotions involved, adding that the situation impacts everyone differently.
Record audience for finale
Over 11.2 million viewers tuned in to watch Ranganathan and Croft split the £83,000 prize pot on Friday, marking the highest-ever overnight audience for the show.
