What happened to Traitors star John McManus? Arrest explained

The Traitors UK Series 1 contestant John McManus was arrested for physically attacking a waitress at an Edinburgh restaurant.

John McManus was on the 2022 hit BBC series The Traitors and was ‘murdered’ off the show in only five episodes. One of the key moments for the 51-year-old reality star was of him fighting with fellow Faithful Aaron because he left the room during a heated round table discussion.

John was then eliminated by the Traitors Wilfred Webster, Alyssa Chan, and Amanda Lovett. However, the actor hit the news headlines on May 7, 2023, for attacking a waitress unprovoked.

It was reported that he lashed out at a waitress who asked him to keep the noise down as requested by The Ship On The Shore seafood restaurant-goers.

John McManus attacked waitress under the influence

Before the attack, John was at the Edinburgh restaurant with a friend and already had downed two bottles of wine. The attack was caught on CCTV footage which was obtained by The Sun where John was seen grabbing a waitress by her hair and throwing her to the ground.

John was arrested on the spot after the assault, but trials were consistently delayed as McManus denied all allegations against him. On December 15, 2024, John finally pled guilty and was charged.

He got himself two charges of assault on the first day of his trial and he was also fined £470 and asked to pay the waitress £600 in compensation.

The Traitors UK airs on BBC One at 21:00 GMT every Wednesday. Episodes are also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.