The nation tuned in with bated breath for a jaw-dropping showdown.
Season 2 of The Traitors has secured its smash-hit status with a blockbuster finale, which enthralled the nation and obliterated the standard set by the first edition.
Viewers flocked to BBC One and iPlayer on Friday night to find out whether the Faithfuls would prevail or the two remaining Traitors, Harry and Andrew, would succeed in their deception – or if the Traitors would take each other out in another fiery roundtable debate.
The BBC has confirmed that the climactic episode reached a peak audience of 6.9 million, more than double the season 1 finale (3.1m), with its average across the hour being 5.5 million (33.5 per cent of the audience share at that time).
The impressive result makes it the most-watched television programme of the week in the UK, at the time of writing.
Competition on the other channels included an FA Cup match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City (ITV1), a new episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) and the latest villa drama in Love Island: All Stars (ITV2).
The success spilled over to the BBC Two companion show, The Traitors: Uncloaked, with roughly half the audience migrating over to see the reaction from host Ed Gamble and exclusive interviews with the finalists.
Uncloaked achieved live viewership of 3.1 million, a 26.6 per cent share of the available audience, with more fans likely to listen to the podcast version of the episode on BBC Sounds in the coming days.
The Traitors has already been renewed for a third season, which is taking applications now for anyone who thinks they have what it takes to either scheme their way to the final or separate the truth from the lies.
Several members of The Traitors season 2 line-up have become breakout favourites, with retired teacher Diane being celebrated as a series icon, while ousted traitor Paul proved compelling in his villainous persona.
The shocking final came down to traitors Harry and Andrew, plus faithfuls Evie, Molly and Jaz – find out how it all unfolded and who won in our spoiler-filled finale recap.
The Traitors is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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