James Acaster hints at possible Traitors alliance as Celebrity Traitors cast prepares for castle mind games

James Acaster has given fans an intriguing glimpse into the mind games awaiting the cast of The Celebrity Traitors, suggesting that the show’s unusually large group of comedians could find themselves under suspicion from the very beginning.

The 41-year-old comedian is among 21 celebrities heading into the latest series of the BBC’s hit reality competition. With several comedians in the cast and last year’s winner, Alan Carr, also a comic, Acaster believes his fellow performers could quickly become targets.

James Acaster predicts comedians could be watched closely

Acaster will enter the game alongside fellow comedians Joanne McNally, Joe Lycett, Rob Beckett, Miranda Hart and Romesh Ranganathan.

Rather than seeing the large comedy contingent as an advantage, Acaster admitted that it could become a problem.

He suggested the comedians may be suspected of being Traitors simply because there are so many of them. He also floated the possibility that they could form an alliance inside the castle, provided the game does not force them apart before they have a chance to work together.

The comedian expects the group to attract plenty of attention, particularly during the opening stages when the other contestants have very little evidence to work with.

That concern has been heightened by what happened in the first series.

Alan Carr has changed the way comedians are viewed

The first series of The Celebrity Traitors ended with comedian Alan Carr taking the title.

Acaster joked that Carr had effectively made things harder for every comedian following him because he managed to disarm the other contestants with his humour throughout the game.

That previous success could now work against the comedians entering the castle for the second series.

Acaster also pointed to Dr Hannah Fry, the broadcaster and mathematician among this year’s contestants. His tongue-in-cheek theory is that, statistically, having so many comedians in the cast means there could well be a comic among the Traitors.

At the same time, he acknowledged that all of the Traitors could just as easily come from outside the comedy group.

His conclusion was simple: if the mathematics goes against the comedians, they could find themselves in serious trouble.

A star-studded cast heads to the castle

Acaster will have plenty of competition beyond the comedy contingent.

The second series features Amol Rajan, Bella Ramsey, Dr Hannah Fry, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Julie Hesmondhalgh, King Kenny, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Myha’la, Richard E. Grant, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Ross Kemp, Sebastian Croft and Sharon Rooney, alongside Acaster, McNally and Lycett.

The BBC has confirmed the 21-person cast for the new series, which returns the celebrity version of the format to the Scottish Highlands.

The mix includes actors, musicians, broadcasters, comedians and a social media personality, setting up a game in which existing friendships and professional connections could become just as important as individual personalities.

Among the most recognisable names are Game of Thrones and The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, actor Michael Sheen, model and actress Jerry Hall, singer-songwriter James Blunt, presenter Maya Jama and actor Richard E. Grant.

The Celebrity Traitors returns on October 1

The new series of The Celebrity Traitors begins on Thursday, October 1, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Episodes will air twice a week, on Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm.

The series once again places the celebrity contestants into the roles of Faithfuls and Traitors, with the Faithfuls attempting to identify and banish the hidden Traitors while the Traitors try to eliminate the other players without revealing themselves.

With so many comedians entering the castle together, Acaster’s comments have already highlighted one of the game’s biggest early questions: will the comedians trust one another enough to work together, or will their shared profession make them the first group everyone starts watching?

For now, Acaster has revealed the possibility of an alliance, but there is no indication that such a pact has actually been formed. The identities of the Traitors remain secret ahead of the series launch.