James Acaster has been spotted with his girlfriend, television producer Hannah Rose, as he continues to deal with the reaction to his dramatic departure from Celebrity Traitors.
The 41-year-old comedian appeared downcast during an outing with Rose in east London on Thursday.
The couple were seen walking together and sharing a conversation, with Rose reportedly providing support following the intense response to his appearance on the BBC reality competition.
Acaster and Rose have been together since 2022 and live together, sharing four cats.
A family member previously told the Daily Mail that the couple were happy and preferred to maintain a relatively private lifestyle.
Hannah Rose Stands By Comedian Following Television Controversy
Rose, a senior television executive who has worked with ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC, met Acaster while working on his BBC podcast, James Acaster’s Perfect Sounds, in 2020.
Their relationship began two years later, and she has reportedly been supporting him since his controversial exit from the second series of Celebrity Traitors was broadcast.
Before his relationship with Rose, Acaster was involved with actress Louise Ford.
Their relationship ended in 2013 after Ford began a relationship with Rowan Atkinson, the actor known for playing Mr Bean.
Acaster previously revealed that he discovered Ford had left him for Atkinson through a newspaper report.
Comedian’s Emotional Confession Changed The Competition
Acaster’s departure became one of the defining moments of the series after he unexpectedly admitted to being a Traitor during a Round Table discussion in the penultimate episode.
The comedian had been assigned the role of Traitor earlier in the competition but reportedly struggled with the responsibility.
He had repeatedly expressed discomfort with having to deceive other contestants and maintained that he approached the role as honestly as possible.
His confession ultimately helped clear the path for the remaining Faithfuls, Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft, who defeated Traitors Maya Jama and King Kenny in the final.
Reports subsequently emerged that Acaster became so distressed during the filming of his final scenes that production was temporarily suspended.
Members of the programme’s welfare team were reportedly called in to check on him.
An insider told the Daily Mail that the pressure had become increasingly difficult for the comedian and that those present agreed filming needed to stop before the situation escalated.
The source added that members of the production had noticed Acaster struggling throughout the series.
Richard Osman Discusses The Backlash Against Acaster
The reaction to Acaster’s confession was also addressed by Richard Osman and Marina Hyde on their podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment.
Discussing the criticism directed at contestants following their appearances on reality television, Osman suggested that Acaster could be struggling with the volume of public commentary surrounding his decision.
He said the comedian might regret how events unfolded, particularly because of the number of people expressing opinions about his actions.
Osman estimated that Acaster could be facing millions of different reactions and said the experience could leave someone feeling destabilised for several weeks.
He also defended the comedian’s talent, expressing confidence that his future work would quickly move attention away from the controversy.
Osman added that he was looking forward to seeing what Acaster would do next and sent him a message of support.
James Blunt Disputes How Acaster’s Exit Was Presented
Fellow contestant James Blunt has also challenged the impression created by the televised version of Acaster’s confession.
Blunt, who reached the final of the BBC competition, claimed that significant parts of the confrontation leading to Acaster’s admission were left out of the broadcast.
Speaking to the BBC, the musician said Acaster had not simply surrendered or voluntarily revealed his identity as a Traitor.
According to Blunt, the comedian had been subjected to an intense interrogation and was eventually trapped by the other contestants.
He maintained that the events shown on television did not fully reflect what happened during the discussion, insisting that Acaster had been unable to escape the accusations against him.
The musician’s comments offered a different account of the dramatic Round Table moment, which had attracted criticism from viewers who believed Acaster’s confession had made the competition easier for the remaining Faithfuls.
Blunt Reveals His Own Motivation For Joining The Show
Blunt also spoke about his reasons for participating in Celebrity Traitors, admitting that promoting his new music had been a major motivation for joining the programme.
The singer explained that contestants received the same payment regardless of how long they remained in the competition.
He said this meant he had spent much of his time hoping to leave the show, although neither the other contestants nor the voting process had sent him home.
His comments came as debate continued over Acaster’s dramatic exit and the circumstances surrounding the comedian’s admission during the penultimate episode.
