The nation stood still as The Celebrity Traitors reached its dramatic conclusion, smashing television records and cementing its place as one of the most talked-about shows of the year.
A Record-Breaking Finale
The extended 70-minute finale episode, which aired on November 7, 2025, achieved what few programmes have managed in recent years. The BBC announced that the episode attracted an average audience of 11.1 million viewers, with numbers peaking at an astonishing 12 million as viewers tuned in to discover the winner.
This remarkable achievement means The Celebrity Traitors secured the biggest overnight audience for any show since the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special last year. Even more impressive was the surge in viewership from the penultimate episode, which drew an additional three million viewers eager to see how the game would unfold.
Alan Carr's Masterful Deception
In a twist that left both contestants and viewers stunned, comedian Alan Carr managed to deceive his fellow celebrities throughout the entire competition. The 49-year-old was selected as a Traitor in the premiere episode and maintained his cover with a performance that had viewers describing him as 'both the best and worst Traitor ever'.
His journey was far from smooth, with several moments where his act nearly crumbled. Viewers watched with bated breath as he 'forgot' he had a shield and struggled to maintain a straight face when host Claudia Winkleman asked him to declare 'I'm a Faithful'.
The tension reached its peak in the final roundtable, where Carr convinced fellow contestants Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga that he was a Faithful like them. Despite their decision to banish Joe Marler, they made the crucial error of trusting Carr, allowing him to scoop the entire £87,500 prize pool for his chosen charity, Neuroblastoma UK.
Emotional Aftermath and Charity Impact
The moment of victory proved overwhelming for Carr, who broke down in tears upon being revealed as the winning Traitor. 'I'm so sorry, it's been tearing me apart, I'm so sorry. I feel so bad,' he emotionally told his fellow contestants.
Speaking later on the spin-off show Traitors Uncloaked, Carr explained his emotional reaction: 'I think all the deceit, the lying, the murdering of Paloma and Celia had all taken its toll and then I think it dawned on me that I had won such a huge amount for my charity, Neuroblastoma UK. The charity is so close to my heart that it all became a bit too much.'
The charity, which supports research into neuroblastoma - a type of childhood cancer that develops from cells left behind from a baby's development in the womb - will benefit significantly from Carr's dramatic win. His performance was so compelling that fans flooded social media afterwards, with many calling for him to receive a knighthood for his 'services to entertainment'.
The success of The Celebrity Traitors underscores the continuing power of event television to capture the public imagination, generating endless water-cooler conversations and social media theories throughout its month-long run. With iPlayer viewership numbers still to be added to the already impressive statistics, the show's place in television history appears firmly secured.
