The fourth series of BBC's smash-hit reality show The Traitors concluded on Friday evening with what viewers are calling the 'best ever' finale in the programme's history. Fans have flooded social media with praise, branding the nail-biting conclusion 'beautiful television' and comparing its dramatic arcs to Shakespearean drama.
Dramatic Finale Sees Traitors Triumph
The 75-minute finale saw the remaining contestants – Stephen Libby, Rachel Duffy, James Baker, Faraaz Noor, Jade Scott, and Jack Butler – compete head-to-head for the substantial cash prize. In a tense series of banishments, the group first voted to eliminate Faraaz before dramatically ousting Jack in a second round of voting.
This left traitors Stephen and Rachel as the final two contestants, with host Claudia Winkleman announcing their victory to overwhelming emotion from the winning pair. Each contestant took home a staggering £47,875, splitting the total prize fund of £95,750 equally between them.
Viewer Praise Reaches Fever Pitch
As audiences watched Stephen and Rachel celebrate their win with champagne outside the Scottish castle before the credits rolled, social media platforms exploded with enthusiastic responses. Many declared this year's series the most satisfying instalment yet, with numerous comparisons to classical storytelling.
One viewer exclaimed: 'God that wasn't just good telly that was bloody Shakespeare!!!' while another stated: 'This is the best finale of the UK series. This is how, sometimes, reality TV makes the best story arcs without even trying.'
Further praise highlighted the strategic gameplay that characterised the series, with fans noting: 'So deserved. They did it with strategy, bat off suspicions, played the rest against each other and stayed loyal to each other. They made it a very satisfying and fun series to watch.'
Historic Victory for Traitorous Duo
Stephen and Rachel's win marks a significant milestone for the programme, as they became the first traitors in the UK version to successfully reach the end of the game together. Their partnership proved particularly compelling to viewers, with many noting Stephen's decision to honour his pact with Rachel despite having opportunities to claim the entire £95,750 prize for himself.
One fan commented: 'OMFG Stephen could've won £95k - but kept his promise and took home £47.5k with Rachel. And they're the first TRAITORS to make it to the end! What a decent man Stephen is.'
Another viewer added: 'My nervous system has still not recovered from the final of #TheTraitors. The greatest episode of reality TV in years. Rachel and Stephen are by far the best winners yet.'
Post-Finale Reflections
Both winners appeared on the spin-off programme Uncloaked immediately after the finale, speaking to hosts Ed Gamble and Claudia Winkleman about their emotional victory. Rachel revealed: 'I was so nervous for Stephen so watching it back, it made me cry.'
Stephen added: 'I didn't know what I was going to do, watching it back I can see in my face. I'm just so proud of the decision that I made, proud of myself and Rachel.'
The pair also discussed the pact they made never to write each other's names during roundtable banishments, an agreement they maintained throughout the game despite Stephen's earlier doubts. Rachel explained: 'I knew from the minute it came out of my mouth I wouldn't break the pact and I thought this is a new game for me I'm not breaking it.'
Stephen acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining trust in an environment built on deception, stating: 'It's so hard to trust someone in there whose job it is to lie and so I was really struggling to see how Rachel could hold onto that pact for the whole game which is why to the end I was wobbling.'
Future of The Traitors
The BBC has already confirmed the programme's future, commissioning a fifth series of the civilian edition with applications now open. Additionally, a second series of the celebrity version has been ordered by network bosses, ensuring that the Traitors phenomenon will continue to captivate British audiences.
This overwhelming viewer response to the fourth series finale demonstrates the programme's continued evolution as a cultural touchpoint, blending strategic gameplay with compelling human drama to create what many are calling the pinnacle of reality television storytelling.
