James Acaster is one of the 21 contestants taking part in the second series of Celebrity Traitors, and the comedian has a surprising link to Rowan Atkinson that you may not have known.
Atkinson is well-known for his comedic roles spanning a decades-long career, including Mr Bean, Blackadder, the Johnny English films and Not the Nine O'Clock News.
The link between him and Acaster came after the Off Menu podcast host split up with actress Louise Ford, who he dated until 2013.
Around that time, Ford co-starred with Atkinson in the play Quartermaine’s Terms, and the two went on to start a relationship.
Atkinson divorced his wife Sunetra Sastry the following year.
Acaster addressed the situation during a 2019 stand-up show, telling the audience: "I got left for Mr Bean.
"I found out a year after we split up.
"I opened the newspaper and there was a full-page story.
"No one else in the history of time has ever been left for Mr Bean.
"I’m a goddamn saint to have kept this in the back pocket so long.
"It’s my job to say things that are funny and the funniest thing that’s ever happened to anyone, happened to me and I put it on the back burner out of respect."
Acaster also joked about how often Atkinson appears in everyday life.
He said: "Until you get left for Mr Bean, you don’t realise how frequently he pops up.
"There’s a shop two streets from my house that sells masks of his face.
"There’s nowhere where I’m going to go that he’s not there."
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Filming pauses on Celebrity Traitors after James Acaster stress
Reports emerged this week that filming on The Celebrity Traitors was paused after James Acaster got "very anxious" on set.
The 41-year-old comic was visibly stressed during a scene at Ardross Castle, prompting fellow contestants to raise concerns with producers, who halted filming so that the crew could check on him.
A source told The Sun: "The show is incredibly intense and during one particular scene at the castle, James became very anxious and panicked.
"Some of the other celebrities on the show spoke up and said cameras should stop rolling so he could calm down, and production were in agreement as well.
"Everyone looks out for each other and there is a proper sense of camaraderie. It was good for James to have a breather, as everyone felt it was for the best."
The source said the pause did not affect the outcome of the game but reflected the "passionate and tense" atmosphere on set."
How many episodes of Celebrity Traitors are there this year?
There are 10 episodes of Celebrity Traitors series 2, which is one episode longer than the first.
The full schedule is:
- Episode 1 - Thursday, October 1 at 8pm
- Episode 2 - Friday, October 2 at 8pm
- Episode 3 - Thursday, October 8 at 8pm
- Episode 4 - Friday, October 9 at 8pm
- Episode 5 - Thursday, October 15 at 8pm
- Episode 6 - Friday, October 16 at 8pm
- Episode 7 - Thursday, October 22 at 8pm
- Episode 8 - Friday, October 23 at 8pm
- Episode 9 - Thursday, October 29 at 8pm
- Episode 10 - Friday, October 30 at 8pm
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What does the winner of Celebrity Traitors get?
The winners of Celebrity Traitors get up to a maximum of £100,000 for a chosen charity.
The final amount depends on how much money the group successfully adds to the prize fund during challenges throughout the season.
It can be shared among several winners or all taken by one, but if any traitors are left at the end of the game, they will take all of the money.
Are you watching Celebrity Traitors series two? Let us know in the comments.
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