After weeks of tension, plots and sabotage, The Celebrity Traitors concludes with a nail-biting end
Spoiler alert - This article reveals details from The Celebrity Traitors conclusion
Over the course of the show, audiences saw eliminations, double-crosses, intense glares, and a memorable moment that pierced the overwhelming suspense.
Yet on the final evening, the ultimate victor of the first Celebrity Traitors emerged triumphant.
Out of nineteen participants, only five remained: Deceivers and loyal players facing off for the prize.
Soon, the competition tightened to just three: the final players.
In the end, funny man Alan Carr emerged as the champion, in a shocking result that went viral and left him emotional.
"This has been destroying me, my apologies," he declared, admitting to the remaining faithfuls that he was actually a traitor. "I'm an awful human being."
"You did brilliantly," they comforted him. "It's all right."
Online platforms immediately exploded with the news. "The worst deceiver being the most effective player," commented one user.
"It couldn't have been a better conclusion," wrote a different person, while someone else described it as "the television highlight of the year."
The organization he selected, a cancer charity, gets to keep the entire winnings, with the total amount reaching £87,500.
Alan Carr's transformation from comic relief to cold-hearted killer was among the most memorable aspects of the series.
However, his victory still shocked viewers surprised, according to entertainment reporters.
"The thought of him, of all people, executing an expert performance in deceit felt about as likely as him keeping composure through his comedy routines."
On subsequent discussions, fellow players explained the reasons nobody had truly doubted him.
"He might have come down to breakfast in a green cloak and I wouldn't have believed he was deceiving us. His humor distracted me," one participant said.
"Most people didn't target him because how can you eliminate a person so loveable?" asked a different contestant.
The winner stated he had "thoroughly enjoyed" his experience with the show.
"I want to do it again... I doubt it would work a second time!"
Thursday evening's installment was extended to over an hour on television. It had an unusual opening than typical episodes, as all the celebs were aware who would appear at the breakfast table.
There was particularly inspiring, and atypical for the show soundtrack, as we recapped some moments from every remaining player's experience in the game.
As ever, the comedian gave us some of the most memorable lines.
"To be honest, I started the competition as something of a nervous wreck. I've thrown some really good friends to save myself, I've murdered beloved figures openly. I'm clearly more deceptive and player than I believed."
Meanwhile, a different player commented that reaching the conclusion was "way more stressful than playing for a national team", while another said he was "totally surprised" to have made it so far.
In the beginning in the episode, various contestants appeared to be attempting to become the new style icon of the competition, replacing an earlier departed fashionable contestant.
Carr emerged at breakfast resembling a 1950s US chat show host in patterned burgundy attire, before changing into a bejewelled white suit.
However, he got outstyled by a fellow player's burgundy formal wear. What a look.
Following this was the challenge, with the final players boarding a locomotive called - of course - The Deceivers' Railway.
This task involved ripping up images of former contestants. Spare a thought for a player who managed to get hit on the head multiple times by the lid of a heavy wooden box.
Before long, it was time for the elimination discussion.
Two traitors did a pinky promise beforehand, vowing to support each other. "We've come a long way, I won't throw him under a bus," stated a player, while the other simply laughed.
And one adhered to his promise. Yet, managing to stay unnoticed for most of the game, the other still received the majority elimination votes.
The remaining traitor looked like to be experiencing significant distress to be the final deceiver remaining. "Now I'm on my own, I'm frightened," he said. "I'm unpredictable, a rudderless ship."
Social media and onlookers were similarly upset.
"I hoped against that player to be eliminated. A truly loveable traitor," said a commentator.
"Your legacy will remain in the show's legacy," wrote another user.
But there was no time to dwell on their elimination. Before long, they were at the endgame - this being the moment everyone anticipated.
The last players gathered around the fire pit. And the alliance collapsed, just when it mattered the most, in a truly WTF moment.
A player was painfully banished - after a shock vote from their partner, who betrayed them.
"This pains me to be betrayed last minute in that manner," remarked the eliminated player. Later, we learned that if they ever communicate, the betrayed player refers to the other by a betrayer's name.
Finally, only three contestants remained in the game: the last participants.
One player, appearing quite pleased, voted to end the game. So did a different player, and it all came down to the final participant, who made the identical choice - which meant that the deceiver was the winner.
For observers, the scene where remaining contestants comforted the winner was "compelling television". "I anticipate it could be in the running for outstanding scene at television honors," they said.
Happily, the champion soon recovered from his emotional outburst, and could finally appreciate the moment.
"What a rollercoaster. I thought I was terrible at deception, my expressions gave me away and here I am the champion," the winner said.
He also made light of that infamous murder - his best friend during the initial stages - by leaning toward the presenter in the final scene and touching her cheek.
"There's something on your face," he said, with his trademark giggle.
The last few weeks of famous people scheming, scheming and the occasional surprising incidents may feel like a bizarre fantasy. But it really did all happen. And we will miss it.