Following multiple episodes of tension, plots and backstabbing, The Celebrity Traitors has reached a nail-biting finale

Warning: spoilers ahead - This piece reveals key moments from The Celebrity Traitors conclusion

Throughout the season, audiences saw eliminations, double-crosses, intense glares, and a memorable moment that cut through the overwhelming tension.

Yet on the final evening, the final winner of the inaugural celebrity edition emerged triumphant.

Out of 19 contestants, just a handful were left standing: Deceivers and faithfuls facing off for the winnings.

Before long, the competition tightened to only three contenders: the final players.

In the end, comedian Alan Carr emerged as the champion, in a shocking result that went viral and left him emotional.

"It's been tearing me apart, I'm so sorry," he declared, admitting to the other players that he was actually a traitor. "I feel terrible about this."

"You played amazingly," they consoled him. "It's all right."

Online platforms quickly erupted with this development. "The worst deceiver being the most effective player," wrote a viewer.

"It couldn't have been a better conclusion," stated another, while a third described it as "the TV moment of the year."

The organization he selected, Neuroblastoma UK, gets to keep the entire winnings, with the final pot amounting to £87,500.

Alan Carr's transformation from giggle liability to strategic player was among the most memorable aspects of the series.

But his win still left the nation surprised, as noted by entertainment reporters.

"The thought of him, among everyone, executing a masterclass in deceit felt just as probable as him keeping a straight face through one of his own punchlines."

On subsequent discussions, fellow players summed up the reasons nobody had ever really suspected him.

"Alan could have come down to breakfast in traitor attire and I still wouldn't have thought he was deceiving us. I was too busy laughing," a player said.

"The majority didn't vote for him because how does one eliminate someone who is so loveable?" questioned another celebrity.

Carr said he had "absolutely loved" his time on the show.

"I'd like to participate once more... I don't think it would be successful a second time!"

The final episode was lengthened to 70 minutes on the network. There was a different start than usual, as all the celebs knew who would appear at the morning gathering.

Viewers heard particularly inspiring, and atypical for the show soundtrack, as the episode revisited some moments from every remaining player's experience in the game.

As ever, Alan Carr provided some of the most memorable lines.

"Let's face it, I started this game as something of an anxious mess. I've betrayed close allies under the bus, I've murdered beloved figures in plain sight. Apparently I'm a better liar and player than I thought."

At the same time, another contestant commented that reaching the conclusion was "way more stressful than competing with a national team", while someone else said he was "completely amazed" to have made it so far.

In the beginning of the finale, various contestants seemed to be making a bid to become the new style icon of the competition, replacing an earlier departed fashionable contestant.

The winner appeared at breakfast resembling a 1950s US chat show host in patterned burgundy attire, before changing into an embellished light-colored outfit.

But he was out-jacketted by another contestant's burgundy formal wear. What a look.

Next up was the challenge, with the remaining contestants getting on board a train named - naturally - The Deceivers' Railway.

This task involved destroying portraits of eliminated players. Spare a thought for one participant who managed to get hit in the head multiple times by the lid of a substantial container.

Soon after, the moment arrived for the roundtable.

Two traitors did a pinky promise beforehand, vowing to support each other. "We've progressed significantly, I'm not going to throw him under a bus," said a player, while their partner simply laughed.

However, one adhered to their agreement. Yet, having slipped unnoticed for most of the game, the other still received the majority elimination votes.

The remaining traitor appeared to be experiencing a world of pain to be the final deceiver remaining. "Now I'm on my own, I feel terrified," he said. "I'm unpredictable, a rudderless ship."

Online platforms and onlookers were similarly upset.

"I hoped against this contestant to be eliminated. An endearing deceiver," said an observer.

"You will forever be remembered in the show's legacy," wrote another user.

However, there remained no time to focus on their elimination. Soon, they were at the endgame - this being what we were really all here for.

The last players stood over the fire pit. Meanwhile, the partnership broke down, precisely when it was most crucial, in an absolutely shocking development.

A player was eliminated in dramatic fashion - after a shock vote from their ally, who turned against them.

"This pains me to be stabbed in the back at the final moment in that manner," said the ousted contestant. Later, it was revealed that when they message, the eliminated contestant 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 competition. The same decision was made by another, and everything depended on the third, who made the identical choice - which meant that the traitor was the winner.

For observers, the moment where remaining contestants comforted the champion was "beautiful TV". "I predict it could be in the running for outstanding scene at television honors," they commented.

Happily, the champion quickly regained composure from his bout of tears, and could finally appreciate the moment.

"Such an emotional journey. I thought I was terrible at deception, my expressions gave me away and now I stand the champion," the winner said.

And he even joked about the memorable elimination - his best friend during the initial stages - by reaching over 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 celebrity gossiping, plotting and the occasional unexpected moments may seem like one big crazy jumbled dream. But it really did all happen. And we will miss it.