By Karim Hammam
Actor Sebastian Croft and comedian Romesh Ranganathan have been revealed as the winners of the second series of BBC One's Celebrity Traitors, splitting the £83,000 prize pot between their chosen charities. The pair, who were the last two faithfuls standing, said they were relieved to finally discuss the outcome after months of secrecy.
Final details
The finale aired on Friday after the original 21 celebrities were whittled down to seven finalists. The episode attracted an average live audience of 11.2 million viewers, with total viewership expected to rise once catch-up figures are included. Recent episodes have drawn more than 15 million viewers including on-demand streaming.
Winners' reactions
Reuniting on Ranganathan's BBC Radio 2 show the following morning, Croft described the experience of keeping the secret as "killing me" and said waking up without that burden brought a "light sense" of relief. Ranganathan, 48, admitted he might not have won without Croft convincing him to banish the last remaining traitor, King Kenny, at the final round table.
Gameplay and strategy
Croft, 24, explained that his decision to vote out Kenny was tactical: the goal in the endgame is not simply to find a traitor but to eliminate anyone who has not proven themselves unequivocally faithful. He noted that neither Kenny nor fellow traitor Maya Jama had done enough to stand out as clearly faithful.
Other finalists
The final saw the remaining traitors, Jama and King Kenny, successfully banished. Kenny later joked that Jama had blocked him on social media but acknowledged he had warned her of his vote. Fellow finalist Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who participated while pregnant, spoke of her pride after completing a helicopter rope challenge in the final episode.
