Alan Carr won Celebrity Traitors after a nail-biting final on Thursday night.
Viewers applauded the hapless comedian, 49, who had been among the bookies’ favourites to win, after he managed to remain undetected throughout the competition while carrying out two ‘murders’ in plain sight.
But he faced an uphill battle as the Faithfuls voted out fellow Traitor Cat Burns, 25, earlier in the game, leaving him the last one standing.
After managing to convince Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga he was a Faithful and in doing so ending the game, Alan burst into tears when host Claudia Winkleman asked him to finally reveal his true identity.
Alan revealed the betrayal had been ‘tearing me apart’ as a stunned Nick held his hand to mouth in shock, while David was – to quote Kate Garraway – ‘flabbergasted’.
The comedian said: ‘I was awful, I had no poker face but here I am. Maybe I do exaggerate a showbiz story now and again. But to just lie to people’s faces, it was tough’.
Fans of the show took to X to comment on the epic scenes, sharing their disbelief as to how Alan managed to win.
One wrote: ‘Well done Alan. Of the Traitors you deserved it most. It had to be you or Joe. Alan played it all brilliantly from start to finish. Murdering in plain sight twice. He more than earned it. Great charity too.’
Others said: ‘How Alan managed to win it still baffles me but kept us on our toes for sure’.
‘Who would’ve thought Alan Carr would be the greatest traitor of all time! What an incredible series. Our people’s princess for life.’
‘Alan Carr was hiding in plain sight. Nick Mohammed how could you? I literally thought they’ve left it late but they’ll get them all! Blahhh! Never mind, great charity. Children’s brain tumours need a lot more research’.
In the episode, the final five – singer Cat, rugby player Joe Marler, 35, comic Nick, 45, historian and broadcaster David, 55, and Alan – faced one last roundtable where suspicions ran high.
Joe, believing Alan and Cat were the Traitors, made a pact to vote against David while secretly plotting to expose them later.
Viewers watched with baited breath as David desperately defended himself, before the singer was voted out after Joe made a last minute U-turn.
Remaining Traitor Alan told viewers, Cat’s departure had ‘thrown a spanner in the works’ as he had to battle it out for the win solo.
Suspicions a Traitor was still lurking in their midst was still high as the songstress did not reveal her true identity in her departing speech.
Reflecting on her time, Cat said: ‘I wouldn’t change a thing. I got to the final. I’m proud of myself.’
Nick then turned on ‘true Faithful’ Joe in the final moments as the final four headed to the firepit to cast stones and reveal if they thought there was still a Traitor among them.
In a shock change of heart, Nick said he doubted Joe after spotting him say ‘I’m sorry’ when he banished Cat.
Nick said: ‘I adore you, honestly I didn’t believe it but you voting for Cat is what sealed it, but I love you.’
Joe said after being banished by his fellow Faithful: ‘I read it so wrong. It hurts to be stabbed in the back last minute like that’.
With just David, Alan and Nick, it was up to them to decide if there was a Traitor in their midst.
David said: ‘I’ve never believed Alan is a Traitor.’
Nick also voted to end the game. The actor said: ‘I genuinely believe both of you are Faithful. I think we did it’ – only for Alan to pull the rug from under their feet when he made his bombshell revelation.
At the start of the episode, the team managed to bag £20,000 to the prize pot after an action-packed train mission, which saw a carriage explode once the time limit was up.
Claudia revealed their win meant the total prize stood at £87,500.
And it had been all to play for as former rugby player Joe had set his sights on Cat and Alan in the previous episode.
Telling the cameras after a tense roundtable that saw Alan and Cat survive another round, Joe revealed: ‘My plan involves getting really close to Alan and Cat so they keep me in the game.
He added: ‘Then I can pull the rug from under their feet at the last minute. Sorry, Traitors, I’m coming for you.’
Viewers praised Joe as ‘the smartest in the game’ as he correctly guessed the identities of the two remaining Traitors.
After Kate, 58, had gone, Joe returned to his theory from earlier in the day that Alan could be a Traitor and had just been slipping under the radar.
He then confidently confided in Nick that he thought Cat was too.
Fans of the show took to X to praise Joe for figuring things out as they penned: ‘Didn’t have Joe Marler down as being the smartest man in this game.’
Joe became more certain of his theory when Claudia told them they were the final five finalists and nobody would be getting murdered, before asking them to all individually tell the group that ‘I am a faithful’.
Traitor Alan immediately burst out laughing as he tried to repeat the words, which aroused suspicion.
Joe said: ‘It’s just another confirmation of what I’m thinking already about Alan. He can’t even look us in the eyes and say “I’m a faithful”. If that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is.’
