The gripping second season of The Celebrity Traitors drew to a dramatic close on Friday night, pulling in a record-breaking overnight television audience of 11.2 million viewers—and peaking at an impressive 11.6 million—despite receiving mixed reviews from television critics.
Fans of the hit BBC One psychological reality series tuned in in droves to watch the nail-biting grand final, which crowned comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian "Bash" Croft as the winning Faithfuls. The duo successfully navigated the treacherous game, banishing the remaining Traitors, Maya Jama and King Kenny, in the final hour to claim victory.
The stellar overnight and consolidated viewing figures made the finale the largest UK TV audience of 2026 so far, surpassing the 11 million viewers who tuned in to watch the 2025 series final, which saw comedian Alan Carr emerge victorious as a triumphant Traitor.
Viewers widely applauded Ranganathan and Croft for outsmarting Jama and King Kenny, who had managed to fly largely under the radar throughout the competition. Their cover was only blown during Thursday night’s episode when a stressed fellow Traitor, comedian James Acaster, dramatically cracked under the pressure and revealed his identity.
By securing the win, Ranganathan and Croft each scooped £41,500 for their chosen charities: the Refugee Council for Ranganathan and Choose Love for Sebastian Croft. As host Claudia Winkleman announced their triumph, the pair shared an emotional embrace outside the picturesque backdrop of Ardross Castle, raising a celebratory glass around the fire pit alongside the other celebrity finalists.
"I trusted Bash and I was right to. I cannot believe it! I just really hope my mum is proud," Ranganathan said following his win. In his exit interview, the comedian added that his absolute highlight of the exhausting experience was forging a genuine friendship in Croft and relying on that bond during the intense endgame.
Sebastian Croft broke down in tears of joy after the victory, calling it incredible and remarking that it might genuinely be the best day of his life. The actor shared that his favorite moment was when Ranganathan officially called him a Faithful, sealing their alliance with a wild and unforgettable hug.
Fans took to social media to celebrate the outcome, praising the pair for playing a loyal game. Viewers on X shared their approval, calling the winning duo iconic and expressing pride that both winners chose to donate their cash prizes to charities supporting refugees.
A High-Anxiety Climax and Mixed Critical Response
While the audience numbers shattered records, television critics offered more tempered feedback on the finale. Major broadsheets and cultural reviewers debated whether the concluding episode delivered the explosive TV gold expected from the format.
The Times hailed the finale as "an extraordinary result after a sometimes underwhelming series," noting that the episode felt less like peak television gold and more like precious silver. The review pointed out that the season lacked the epic status of its predecessor largely because the primary Traitors enjoyed an unusually smooth and unchallenged run for most of the competition.
The Independent described the finale as an "anticlimactic finish" to the sophomore series, while The Guardian observed that while the show remained thrilling to the very end, its record-breaking viewing figures somewhat belied its comparatively muted nature. The Guardian added that the season lacked enough unpredictable twists, sharp suspense, and metaphorical jugulars severed to become an outright classic, but ultimately concluded that the show still successfully accomplished its main objective.
In stark contrast, veteran TV critic Christopher Stevens awarded the final episode a glowing five-star review for the Daily Mail, dubbing the tense conclusion a nerve-wracking climax. However, Stevens offered some stern critique of the celebrity contestants’ apparent aversion to the backstabbing and treachery inherent to the format.
"What were they expecting when they signed up? The show might as well have been called Celebrity Nervous Nellies," Stevens wrote, highlighting how a cast of highly successful entertainers seemed pushed to the brink of hysteria. He noted that in the modern showbiz culture of performative empathy and the golden rule to "Be Kind," being forced to behave even slightly deviously in front of more than ten million viewers proved too much for many to handle.
Contestants frequently struggled with the immense weight of deception. Maya Jama sighed about the difficulty of keeping massive secrets upon her banishment, while other players displayed palpable anxiety during the tense round-table discussions. Conversely, contestants with backgrounds in genuinely rigorous fields—such as supermodel Jerry Hall and former professional light-heavyweight boxer Kenny Ojuederie, known as King Kenny—seemed far better equipped to roll with the punches.
Production elements also drew considerable attention throughout the run. From memorable wardrobes—including Joe Lycett’s striking plastic mac, borrowed by Sebastian Croft, and Maya Jama’s breakfast shawl—to high-octane missions, the series pushed participants out of their comfort zones. The final mission featured a hovering helicopter that generated enough downdraught to nearly blow away Claudia Winkleman’s fringe, while finalists Maya Jama, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Sebastian Croft demonstrated remarkable courage by abseiling and plunging into a chilly loch.
Ultimately, despite critical debates over the pacing and twists of the sophomore season, The Celebrity Traitors proved its enduring grip on the British public, cementing its status as a ratings juggernaut and delivering a memorable, charity-boosting finale for its exhausted but jubilant winners.
