By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Claudia Winkleman crowned the winners of Celebrity Traitors 2026 on Saturday after a tense final roundtable that saw the Faithful emerge victorious. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft were the last Faithful standing, securing the prize after a series of dramatic banishments.
Final showdown
Seven celebrities reached the final episode: Faithful contestants James Blunt, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Michael Sheen, Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft, alongside Traitors Maya Jama and King Kenny. The Traitors entered the final a player down after James Acaster confessed to being a Traitor during the semi-final, a first for the show.
In the final roundtable, the contestants banished Leigh-Anne Pinnock, King Kenny and James Blunt in quick succession. King Kenny, who appeared poised to win, was banished after a never-before-seen tie with James Blunt. Croft then convinced Ranganathan to side with him, leading to Kenny's exit and a Faithful victory. Blunt was subsequently banished after voting to banish again, leaving Croft and Ranganathan to end the game.
Series highlights and ratings
The series drew a peak audience of 15 million viewers, with Thursday's semi-final attracting 10.7 million live viewers and a 62 per cent share. Earlier highlights included Richard E Grant accidentally revealing his Traitor status moments into the first episode, becoming the earliest banished Traitor in the show's history. Ross Kemp's intense gameplay and Miranda Hart's television comeback after years battling Lyme disease also featured prominently.
The game saw multiple recruitments: Maya Jama and Richard E Grant initially recruited James Acaster; after Grant's banishment, Jama and Acaster recruited mathematician Hannah Fry; following Fry's exposure, they recruited King Kenny. The BBC emphasized contestant welfare after filming was paused when Acaster became distressed, stating that safety remains the highest priority with a dedicated welfare team.
The civilian version of The Traitors will return for its fifth series in January 2027.
