Even the BBC’s hit series The Celebrity Traitors is not immune from the mental health contagion engulfing these shores.

On Thursday night, James Acaster, one of the participants and a comedian by trade (if not by nature, judging by his soporific performance throughout the series), crumpled in front of the cameras. The pressure of having to tell lies as part of the reality show that he’d signed up to was too much for him.

In addition to spoiling the climax of this series, the Acaster incident reminds us that whereas we were once terrified of discussing our feelings, we now can’t resist it

In addition to spoiling the climax of this series, the Acaster incident reminds us that whereas we were once terrified of discussing our feelings, we now can’t resist it

He’d already trousered a reported £40,000 for the gig. Despite this, Acaster wasn’t happy that he’d been recruited as one of the game’s bad guys or ‘Traitors’. This meant he’d have to lie and murder people – not really murder them, although that would have been fascinating, given that ex-EastEnders’ Ross Kemp was slain after a yawn.

Acaster became ‘very anxious’ when Michael Sheen accused him of being a Traitor. The old thesp, who provided the only funny line in the Thursday night episode (‘That’s why we warm up!’ he’d bellowed from his diaphragm, after fellow celebs moaned their voices were hoarse from shouting),........

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