Did James Acaster break the rules on Celebrity Traitors after making strict oath?

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Warning: spoilers ahead for last night’s episode of Celebrity Traitors. Last night on the penultimate episode of Celebrity Traitors season 2, James Acaster did something no other Traitor had ever done before. As he sat at the roundtable being grilled about the murder in plain sight that led to Ross Kemp’s exit from the BBC series, he gave in. He decided that he had been found out by the Faithfuls, and he willingly declared to the other contestants that he was, in fact, a Traitor, emphasising that he had been recruited against his wishes. The comedian’s actions have caused an uproar across The Traitors fandom. Yes, it was an exhilarating end to the episode, but his admission basically made the final roundtable before Friday night’s finale meaningless, as the players’ decision on who to banish was essentially made for them. But on top of that – didn’t James break the rules? Whenever anyone is made a Traitor by host Claudia Winkleman, they have to agree to the ‘Traitors Oath’. This oath goes as follows: ‘Do you commit to lie and deceive throughout the game? Are you willing to murder your fellow players every single night? And, do you vow to keep your identity and the identity of your fellow players a secret?’ There are ways that Traitors are able to subtly circumvent these rules, particularly if they’re throwing another Traitor under the bus. While keeping up the pretence of being a Faithful, they can claim that they believe that someone else is a Traitor, rather than saying it as fact. Fans couldn’t believe how the penultimate Celebrity Traitors episode ended (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) The finalists are: Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Sebastian Croft, King Kenny, Maya Jama, James Blunt, Romesh Ranganathan & Michael Sheen (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/BBC Creative) However, James blatantly broke the last part of the oath, as he had vowed to keep his identity as a Traitor a secret, and didn’t. As I watched Thursday night’s episode play out, I was perplexed. Are there any consequences for a rule break, or did this not matter because James was banished anyway? Get even more Traitors gossip Want to get all the latest news and predictions for the best and most dramatic show this new year? Sign up to our TV Daily newsletter to get a personalised selection of the hottest takes, latest theories and big behind-the-scenes news every morning. Don't to forget to select 'The Traitors' when you enter your email. Or join our The Traitors WhatsApp channel for live episode coverage, juicy gossip and a place to recover from all the cliffhangers. Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! In my opinion, had James’ decision to reveal he was a Traitor been deemed an official rule break, then the producers of the programme should have decided that he was out of the competition before allowing the roundtable to play out with the remaining players. An insider told Metro that James’ decision to disclose his true identity ‘resulted in his time in the game coming to an end’. ‘His decision and the subsequent votes to banish him following the information he told fellow players at the Round Table did not impact anyone else’s status in the game,’ they said. Maya and Kenny are now going into the finale as a team of two, rather than a team of three (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Do you believe that James Acaster broke the Celebrity Traitors rules? Yes, there's no denying itCheck No, the Traitors Oath isn't an offiical show ruleCheck Want to get bespoke updates on the TV shows you love? Sign up to Metro's TV newsletters and tell us which ones you can't get enough of Nonetheless, James revealing that he was a Traitor meant that the other players weren’t going to vote for anyone but him. It also means that the Traitors are going into the finale with a team or two, rather than a stronger team of three. So it has had a significant impact on the final stage of the murder mystery. Plenty of fans have been discussing the technicalities of James’ actions, and he did technically break the rules. ‘Absolutely shocking series, they really need to tighten the rules next year, there can’t be another Richard or James A ever again,’ a fan called Claire wrote on X. ‘This is…..against the rules?’ Amisha questioned, while Ali stated: ‘What should have happened is that James A should have been asked to leave for breaking the traitor oath and rules and then another banishment should have happened instead! 🤔.’ Michael is now on Maya’s case, convinced that she’s a Traitor (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry) Josh also agreed, writing: ‘THAT should 100% have resulted in automatic banishment as punishment for rule breaking and the round table vote go ahead without them.’ There is speculation that the moment that James became ‘visibly distressed’ on the series happened before his big announcement, resulting in his castmates calling for the game to be paused so that the production team could check on him. In response, the BBC said: ‘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.’ It appears that there isn’t a clear-cut answer as to whether James officially broke the rules of the programme, despite breaking the oath, particularly as his departure followed straight afterwards. Many viewers believe he did – myself included – so it’ll be intriguing to see if the rules are implemented more strictly for the next season of the sensational show. 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