Geeky, lanky and awkward, with a penchant for corduroy trousers and grandad jumpers, ‘heartthrob’ is hardly the first word that comes to mind when you look at James Acaster. But the Celebrity Traitors star has, it seems, become an unlikely stud.
Following his sensational start on the hit BBC show, which saw him become the third becloaked Traitor, the comedian has found himself at the centre of a lively debate about his relationship status.
And not least because – as his legion of admirers have been aghast to discover – he has the dubious ‘honour’ of having been dumped in favour of Mr Bean.
Yes, you read that correctly: the 41-year-old, whose 6ft 1in frame and foppish blond curls have been leaving middle-aged women weak, was once the partner of actress and comedian Louise Ford, better known as Rowan Atkinson’s second wife.
Indeed, Atkinson split from his first wife, Sunetra Sastry, with whom he shares two grown-up children, to be with Ms Ford in 2014, after the pair met while appearing in a play together. They now have a young daughter.
Yet this bizarre entry in Acaster’s relationship history seems only to have further endeared him to fans. Many have taken to social media to declare their affection for the star, with some admirers even creating fan pages on TikTok.
They are full of video compilations or ‘thirst trap edits’ designed to showcase a person’s physical appeal – a huge compliment for any man on the wrong side of 40.
The videos include clips of Acaster strutting about Ardross Castle and taking part in the gruelling challenges – all long limbs, arched eyebrows and deadpan wit.
The comedian has found himself at the centre of a lively debate about his relationship status
Louise Ford, who is James Acaster's ex-girlfriend, has been in a relationship with Rowan Atkinson since 2014
One edit has racked up almost 200,000 views, with one person commenting: ‘Yeah, he’s fit! Didn’t realise until last night!’
Another agreed, adding: ‘Glad it’s not just me.’ A third, referring to EL James’s erotic novel, drooled: ‘Fifty Shades of James.’
Many note that the Off Menu podcast host has had a glow-up for the show, swapping his signature scruffy late-night stand-up look for a more polished style.
And they will be pleased to learn that he appears to be single.
He was with Ms Ford between 2011 and 2013, with their relationship coming to an end after she met the now 71-year-old Atkinson.
Addressing the break-up in his 2018 stand-up tour, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, Acaster joked: ‘I found out a year after we split up. I opened the newspaper, and there’s a photo of the two of them walking arm-in-arm down the street together and a full story about how they were a couple now.
‘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. 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 I’m going to go that he’s not there.’
Despite telling host Claudia Winkleman that he would rather be a Faithful, and was not comfortable with lying, Acaster was recruited to be a Traitor
Since then, he has had only one significant relationship, with New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo, the creator and star of BBC rom-com Starstruck. And it appeared to affect him deeply.
Their split in 2017 plunged Acaster into a dark place mentally, which he has discussed in his podcasts and wrote about in his 2019 book, Perfect Sound Whatever.
‘That was when I started having serious suicidal thoughts for the first time,’ he said.
‘I didn’t attempt it. I was in New York, the first time I’d ever been, which should have been really exciting. Instead I’d find myself thinking about ways I could kill myself. That scared me. I’m very lucky, personality-wise, that as soon as I recognise something needs doing, I’ll do it. So as soon as I got back to England I booked a therapy session.’
Having worked on his mental health, Acaster then used the experience for his comedy material.
He’s since said he is in a much better place. But he hasn’t had the easiest ride on Celebrity Traitors.
Despite telling host Claudia Winkleman that he would rather be a Faithful, and was not comfortable with lying, he was recruited to be a Traitor by Richard E Grant and Love Island presenter Maya Jama in the second episode. In a tense scene, Acaster and former Today show host Amol Rajan were forced to plead for their lives in the Traitors chapel before being told to lie in a coffin and await their fate.
Rajan was ‘murdered’ and Acaster saved – and he has been forced to plot with his fellow Traitors in the turret since.
But whether he has it in him to continue to deceive and murder the Faithfuls has yet to be seen. Several times Ms Jama has tried to encourage him to enjoy the power of being a Traitor, and to relish in picking new targets to knock off.
And while he hasn’t faced much suspicion yet, he reportedly became ‘very anxious’ on set, which led to filming being briefly paused during the summer to allow him to calm down.
‘Everyone was aware of the pressure getting to James; it was difficult to watch him struggling,’ one source told this newspaper.
Producers have since addressed the reports, stressing that the welfare of contestants is a priority while filming the notoriously intense reality series.
Acaster previously predicted that being a part of a major TV show would cause him stress.
Speaking on the pod-cast of Romesh Ranganathan – who is also appearing on Celebrity Traitors – he admitted: ‘I’ve turned shows down because I’ve watched them and thought they would be too stressful.
‘Like, I love Strictly, but I’m never going to do that. I think I would have a meltdown before the first episode went out.’
The comedian, who is thought to be worth £4.5million, certainly keeps busy, with frequent stand-up shows and his Off Menu podcast, which he co-hosts with Ed Gamble, the presenter of the Traitors BBC2 companion programme Uncloaked.
And after the show he is likely to be in high demand – particularly with the ladies.