THE TRAITORS FINAL: Was Highland hopeful Evie Queen of the Castle – or did Harry emerge as King?
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
AFTER backstabbing twists and turns galore in the Scottish Highlands, it was the ultimate moment of truth on BBC reality TV hit, The Traitors.
And after weeks of suspense and growing anticipation, the show set at Ardross Castle in Easter Ross delivered a truly dramatic finale as 22-year-old British Army engineer Harry Clark emerged triumphant.
Adding to the Highland interest was the fact that Inverness-based veterinary nurse Evie Morrison (29) had made it to the final five.
It came down to the final five players: insurance broker Andrew (45), British Army engineer Harry (22), disability model Mollie (21), Jaz, a national account manager (30), and Evie.
SEE ALSO:
WATCH: Highland firm sends up The Traitors
Fancy taking part in the next series of The Traitors?
But all of the other four contestants voted for Evie to be banished – meaning she left the process.
Evie told of the amazing experience and praised the others before revealing she was, in fact, a Faithful.
She said: "Of course I'm a Faithful."
The Traitors, fronted by Claudia Winkleman, is filmed in Ardross Castle in Easter Ross – revealed as the most googled castle in Scotland earlier this week.
The Traitors is a competition built on strategy and suspicion. A team of players compete in a series of missions, the more missions they complete successfully, the bigger the prize pot.
However, hidden amongst the players are the Traitors. The Traitors meet in secret each night and decide who to eliminate from their fellow players known as the Faithfuls.
Evie had earlier revealed the emotional toll participating can take after coming into the firing line. Ahead of the final round table, she reflected: "All you need to be is honest and genuine to be a good Faithful. I don't want a Traitor to get that money. I want it to go to a Faithful."
And she again called out one of the Traitors by nominating Andrew, one of the final two standing along with Harry.
With some of the action moving to Portknockie, there was spectacular footage of the Highlands from the bird's eye view of a helicopter. Claudia Winkleman told them: "You are on one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Enjoy the Scottish Highlands." And the area has benefited from a spike of interest in would be visitors.
The last four contestants had to decide whether to end the game and potentially split the cash – risking it all if a Traitor remained in their midst – or to banish again.
There was a massive twist at the end as Andrew took a gamble and declared Harry to have been "a great Traitor from the start".
All voted to banish again, ramping up the drama.
Andrew's ploy backfired as he was banished, revealing himself as a Traitor.
That left three still standing – and they had to choose again whether to banish or end the game.
Mollie chose to end the game.
Harry – a Traitor from the start who stood to win all the money if he remained unbanished –also chose to end the game.
But Jaz chose to banish in a dramatic twist.
And the drama was ramped up to breaking point as Mollie whispered to Harry: "It's not you?" He replied: "No, it's not."
Mollie then dramatically asked to change her vote at the last moment declaring: "No, I'm not sure."
Harry opted for Jaz.
Jaz opted for Harry.
This left it down to Mollie. And she went for fellow Faithful Jaz – banishing him.
Jaz had lived up to his Jazatha Christie nickname with shrewd observations right up to the end.
It came down to Harry devastatingly revealing that he was a Traitor.
That drew a sharp gasp from a shocked Mollie who dramatically left the room. And she revealed to the camera: "I wrote Harry's name first and I just couldn't do it. I really trusted him so I changed it."
A jubilant Harry was told he had played an extraordinary game, winning over £95.000.
He promised he was a good guy and had done it for his family. "I feel I can breathe, I'm me. I'm Harry again."
"I'm the best Traitor in the world", he shouted outside the castle.
