The Traitors final: I trusted the wrong person

After weeks of backstabbing, plotting and social media memes, the winner of The Traitors has been revealed.

Harry Clark, who was one of the original three chosen as traitors at the start of the second series, took home the £95,150 prize money.

He and faithful Mollie Pearce were the last remaining players, after both voted to eliminate faithful Jaz Singh.

Mollie admitted to the BBC that she "chose the wrong person to trust" - but said Harry had promised her a holiday.

"It was a game at the end of the day, we all signed up for it," she added.

Harry said he "just wanted to get the job done", telling BBC Breakfast: "I didn't know I could lie that well and keep it up.

"The first couple of days I was struggling, because you're lying to people and building relationships out of a lie. It was just mad."

Harry said he found the ending of the show "very difficult" even though he won the prize.

He added: "I like to think I'm a nice person. So even though I wanted to run down the street with my top off screaming that I've won £100,000, I don't want to do it at other people's heartache."

The final episode was watched live by 5.5 million people, with a peak audience of 6.9 million. That figure will rise with catch-up audience numbers.

The British Army engineer has been congratulated by his employer on X, with the Army saying his win was a testament to his "resilience and commitment".

Harry went largely undetected through the series, with Jaz - nicknamed Jazatha Christie by fans as a nod to detective novel writer Agatha Christie - one of the few to suspect he could be a traitor.

But in the last episode, viewers saw Harry come perilously close to being voted out. Mollie began to write his name down for banishment, before changing her mind and voting for Jaz, leaving just her and Harry standing.

Her decision meant Harry won all of the prize money - as if any traitors remain at the end of the game they take all the gold for themselves.

Mollie swore and stormed out after Harry revealed himself as a traitor, but has since said they are now friends again and that he "played a good game".

Earlier on in the final episode, Evie Morrison, a veterinary nurse from Inverness, was banished at the final round table, before revealing that she was a faithful.

Another traitor, Welsh insurance broker Andrew Jenkins, was then banished as the remaining four contestants gathered around the fire and voted him out.

Jaz, who had successfully identified four traitors during the course of the game, said the ending was a "difficult pill to swallow" but the group had "recovered".

He said he was initially "dying to be a traitor" and put his detection skills down to being "hyper-vigilant" and not getting too close to anyone.

His super sleuthing was praised by viewers. Some joked on social media that he should solve real life mysteries or be put in charge of Scotland Yard or MI5.

The second series has been hailed as a celebration of event television in an age of streaming and catch-up. Many fans were determined to watch each episode live, to avoid spoilers and be able to share theories on social media.

The final was shown live in some cinemas and pubs, with fans seen screaming at the screen as Mollie failed to see through Harry's deception.

X user @ListerLister wrote "Having now watched The Traitors at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, I ABSOLUTELY understand how footie fans get so buzzed watching matches in the pub."

Another viewer, called Shane Reaction, said: "Now that my nerves have somewhat recovered, how lucky are we to be living in the all new age of event TV?

"Claudia, the players, the producers, the stylists... everyone involved needs to take a bow. Television at its finest and I'm already counting down to The Traitors 2025."

Listen to Claudia Winkleman chatting to the finalists on BBC Radio2