The final episode of The Celebrity Traitors season 2 delivered a tense series of banishments, unexpected decisions and last-minute twists as the remaining contestants fought to reach the end of the BBC competition. With two Traitors still hiding among the Faithfuls and an £83,000 prize pot at stake, the finale quickly became a test of trust, strategy and difficult decisions.

The 80-minute finale aired on Friday, October 30, 2026, bringing the second celebrity edition to its conclusion. Seven contestants entered the final episode, but the competition took several unexpected turns before the remaining players discovered who had successfully maintained their identities and who had been deceiving the group.

The James Acaster Fallout
The finale followed the previous episode’s major Traitor revelation involving James Acaster. For the wider story, see our James Acaster Celebrity Traitors welfare report.

The Celebrity Traitors Season 2 finale begins with Michael Sheen’s murder

The final episode opened with a major setback for the Faithfuls when Michael Sheen was murdered by the Traitors, reducing the number of contestants from seven to six.

The surviving players were Romesh Ranganathan, Sebastian Croft, Maya Jama, King Kenny, James Blunt and Leigh-Anne Pinnock.

At this stage, Maya and Kenny were the two remaining Traitors, while Romesh, Bash, James and Leigh-Anne were still playing as Faithfuls.

The contestants completed a final mission before entering the fire-pit endgame. By the conclusion of the competition, the prize pot had reached £83,000, giving the remaining players another reason to be cautious about their decisions.

However, the biggest challenge was no longer simply surviving. The Faithfuls needed to identify the people who had been secretly working against them.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock becomes the first contestant eliminated at the fire pit

The fire-pit proceedings began with an important decision. Rather than immediately ending the game, the contestants were given the opportunity to continue with another banishment.

They chose to keep playing.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock became the first contestant eliminated during the final fire-pit sequence, after the other players voted against her.

Her departure left five contestants in contention: Maya Jama, King Kenny, Romesh Ranganathan, Sebastian Croft and James Blunt.

Pinnock was particularly disappointed by Kenny’s decision because she had believed they had developed a mutual understanding during the competition.

Reacting to his vote, she said:

“I was thinking me and him had a mutual understanding, and now I feel so stupid.”

Despite the disappointment, she remained positive about her experience and added:

“But I’m walking away feeling super proud and like I’ve really accomplished something here.”

Her elimination also demonstrated how difficult it had become to judge relationships inside the game, particularly when contestants had spent so much time trying to establish whom they could trust.

Maya Jama is eliminated as King Kenny attempts to survive

The next major development involved Maya Jama, whose journey as a Traitor came to an end during the final stages.

Kenny’s willingness to distance himself from Maya became important to his own survival strategy. Once she was eliminated, he became the last remaining Traitor.

That left King Kenny facing three Faithfuls: Romesh, Bash and James Blunt.

Kenny had managed to reach the deepest stages of the competition while maintaining his Traitor identity. However, with Maya no longer in the game, his position became increasingly difficult.

The remaining contestants now had to determine whether they could finally identify the last person secretly working against them.

King Kenny and James Blunt face a dramatic tied vote

The next banishment produced one of the most decisive moments of the finale.

Romesh still suspected that James Blunt could be a Traitor, creating uncertainty about whether the game should continue or end.

The resulting vote produced a 2-2 tie between James Blunt and King Kenny.

Neither contestant received enough votes to be eliminated, meaning Bash and Romesh had to make the deciding choice.

Bash persuaded Romesh that Kenny was the more likely Traitor. The two Faithfuls ultimately agreed to banish him.

King Kenny was eliminated as the final remaining Traitor, preventing him from reaching the end of the competition.

His reaction captured how narrowly he had missed a possible victory.

“Absolutely devastated. Almost scraped it. I was so close, I smelled the victory.”

In his post-finale comments, Kenny also explained that Bash’s decision had surprised him because Bash had repeatedly told him that he trusted him. However, he acknowledged that the endgame required contestants to reconsider the “degrees of trust” between them.

Kenny also explained that he and Maya had believed their closeness could protect them because other contestants might not expect two people who appeared close to be working together as Traitors. He added that playing as a Traitor had given him more control over the game, despite the pressure involved.

James Blunt’s final banishment decision changes everything

With Kenny eliminated, only three contestants remained: Romesh Ranganathan, Sebastian Croft and James Blunt.

At this point, the competition could have ended. Romesh and Bash were prepared to finish the game, but James Blunt chose to continue with another banishment.

That decision proved costly.

Both Romesh and Bash voted to eliminate Blunt, leaving themselves as the final two contestants.

Blunt later explained that something Romesh had said had made him uncertain about whether the comedian was genuinely a Faithful. His decision to continue was therefore influenced by the possibility that another Traitor might still be present.

Although he did not secure the victory, Blunt reflected positively on his experience.

“I’ve loved trying to work it out, I’ve loved getting it wrong so often, I’ve loved the tiny moments when I’ve got it right. I’ve loved the game.”

His elimination brought the competition down to its final two players.

Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft reveal their Faithful identities

After James Blunt’s departure, Romesh and Bash were finally able to reveal their identities.

Both confirmed that they had remained Faithful throughout the competition.

Bash told Romesh:

“I began this game as a faithful, but I’m ending this game as a faithful.”

Romesh responded:

“Bash, I began this game as a faithful, and I’m ending this game as a faithful.”

Their confirmation established that the Faithfuls had won The Celebrity Traitors season 2.

The pair celebrated their victory alongside host Claudia Winkleman.

Bash, who is 24, became emotional following the announcement and said:

“This might actually be the best day of my life.”

Romesh also shared a personal reaction, reflecting on his family and his youngest son Charlie, who had encouraged him to participate.

“I just really hope my mum’s proud. And also my youngest son Charlie, who wanted me to come on the show – dad won. Please show me some respect.”

How Romesh and Bash will divide the £83,000 prize money

The victory also brought a charitable reward, with both contestants choosing to donate their winnings rather than keep the money personally.

The final prize pot was £83,000, meaning each winner received an equal share of £41,500.

Winner	Prize money	Chosen charity
Sebastian Croft (Bash)	£41,500	Choose Love
Romesh Ranganathan	£41,500	Refugee Council

Both charities work with refugees and displaced people, meaning the winning contestants directed their respective shares towards charitable causes.

James Acaster’s unusual Traitor confession remains a major season highlight

The finale followed another unexpected moment from the penultimate episode involving comedian James Acaster.

Acaster originally entered the competition as a Faithful before being recruited as a Traitor. However, he had repeatedly expressed that he wanted to remain a Faithful and help uncover the people secretly working against the group.

When suspicion turned towards him at the round table, Acaster admitted that he was a Traitor, resulting in his elimination.

He explained that he had not wanted the role and had wanted to play as a Faithful from the beginning. Despite the circumstances, he said he was proud of what he had managed to do.

His admission was particularly unusual because Richard E. Grant had also revealed his Traitor identity before being eliminated earlier in the series.

BBC responds to reports about James Acaster’s welfare

Following Acaster’s emotional appearance, reports emerged that filming had been paused and production staff had intervened after he became distressed.

The BBC did not confirm the specific reported circumstances. However, a spokesperson addressed questions about the reports, stating:

“Our highest priority is always the safety and welfare of everyone taking part.”

The spokesperson added:

“Players are closely monitored and supported throughout by production which includes a dedicated and experienced welfare team.”

Acaster’s representative did not comment.

Importantly, the BBC confirmed its welfare procedures but did not independently confirm every detail reported about what happened during filming.

The Celebrity Traitors season 2 delivers record overnight finale figures

The second celebrity edition also attracted considerable attention from BBC audiences.

According to reporting published after the broadcast, the October 30 finale attracted an average overnight audience of 11.2 million viewers, making it the highest overnight audience recorded for a Celebrity Traitors finale to date. The previous year’s finale had averaged 11.1 million viewers overnight.

The series had already delivered impressive figures during its opening episodes. The BBC reported that 8.9 million views of the first two episodes came through BBC iPlayer, representing 58% of their audience. Additionally, 3.1 million viewers aged 16 to 34 watched the episodes.

The broadcaster described the launch as the biggest for a Traitors series across both the celebrity and civilian editions, as well as the biggest launch of any series across the UK market, scripted or unscripted, since at least 2022.

The audience continued growing through catch-up viewing, with recent episodes passing 15 million viewers once additional viewing was included.

What happens next for The Traitors UK?

Although the celebrity competition has concluded, the BBC franchise is preparing for another return.

The civilian edition of The Traitors is scheduled to return for its fifth series in January 2027, with Claudia Winkleman again serving as host.

The second celebrity edition, meanwhile, ends with Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft as its winning Faithfuls, following the eliminations of Maya Jama, King Kenny and James Blunt during the final sequence.

Understanding The Traitors Format
The celebrity edition builds on the same Faithful-versus-Traitor format used by the wider franchise. For more context, see our The Traitors US explainer.

Conclusion

The Celebrity Traitors season 2 delivered a finale shaped by unexpected banishments, difficult trust decisions and a particularly close endgame. King Kenny’s elimination as the final Traitor secured the Faithfuls’ position, while James Blunt’s decision to continue ultimately left Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft as the final two contestants.

Their victory also gave the competition a charitable ending, with £41,500 going to Choose Love through Bash and another £41,500 going to the Refugee Council through Romesh. With the civilian edition scheduled to return in January 2027, the BBC’s Traitors franchise has another chapter ahead.

Source and research disclaimer

This article has been prepared following research of the sources provided, including BBC News, ITV News, Radio Times, The Independent and RTÉ coverage of the finale, audience figures and reported contestant welfare developments. It reflects the information available in those sources as of October 31, 2026. Reported circumstances have been distinguished from statements officially confirmed by the BBC, and further details may be updated if the broadcaster, production team or contestants issue additional information.

Sources

• BBC News: Celebrity Traitors finale coverage
• ITV News: Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft win The Celebrity Traitors as Faithfuls
• Radio Times: Celebrity Traitors season 2 winners revealed
• The Independent: Celebrity Traitors finale viewing figures
• The Independent: BBC statement on James Acaster welfare reports
• RTÉ: BBC says contestant welfare is its highest priority
• BBC News live coverage of The Celebrity Traitors finale

Featured Image Credit: BBC