Traitors twist: Acaster outs himself as Pinnock discusses confidence struggles

Leigh-Anne Pinnock has credited Celebrity Traitors for restoring her "confidence and voice" after what she described as "shrinking herself" during her time in Little Mix, according to the Daily Mail ^[1]. The singer, who found fame alongside Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson after winning The X Factor in 2011, admitted that being part of the group "lowered her voice" off stage.

Speaking to her co-stars on Thursday's episode, the 35-year-old revealed that the pressure of defending herself in the game had a transformative effect. "Having to defend myself in this game has given me a bit of confidence to have a voice," she said. She noted that while she is fully present when performing, "when I'm off stage, I'm just Leigh-Anne," and it takes time to emerge from that reserved state.

Pinnock launched a solo career in 2023 after the girl band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2022. Her emotional confession coincided with what viewers are calling the show's biggest twist yet, as comedian James Acaster unexpectedly revealed he was a Traitor before the voting had even begun.

Acaster, 41, cracked under the pressure during the roundtable, declaring, "I was made a Traitor without wanting to be." He explained that he had wanted to be a Faithful and felt he couldn't simply ask to be voted out, leading to his sudden confession. Fans took to X to describe the moment as the "most unprecedented twist in TV history," with one user writing, "JAMES JUST OUTING HIMSELF AS A TRAITOR AT THE ROUND TABLE."

The revelation came as Acaster and Maya Jama faced scrutiny from the Faithfuls regarding Ross Kemp's murder in plain sight. Michael Sheen, 57, pressed Acaster on how he knew about the deadly perfume bottle involved. Acaster responded that he couldn't argue the theory sounded feasible, promising he hadn't sprayed Kemp.

Despite the drama, the Traitors—Acaster, Jama, and King Kenny—chose to eliminate Scottish actress Sharon Rooney, 38, who had already faced criticism in the previous round. Meanwhile, Faithful Joanne McNally, 43, was banished following last week's cliffhanger, ending her participation in the series.