Claudia Winkleman has publicly apologised to one Traitors contestant after the final

The Traitors season 2 contestants
(Image credit: BBC)

DISCLAIMER: This article contains spoilers from The Traitors finale.

The Traitors is undoubtedly the most talked-about TV series of the moment. And from Claudia Winkleman's iconic knitwear to the behind the scenes secrets and casting tricks, The Traitors has been all anyone can talk about.

The show sees 25 contestants go head to head, with the two secret teams ('Faithfuls' and 'Traitors') working against each other to eliminate players over three weeks. And after season three's tense final episode on Friday night, 'Faithfuls' Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley were announced as the winners, splitting the £94,600 prize pot between them.

However, as the final five contestants reunited on spin-off show, The Traitors: Uncloaked after the result, it was runner-up Alexander Dragonetti who made headlines, with the 38-year-old former diplomat receiving a public apology from host Claudia Winkleman.

The Traitors host previously announced to the audience during one of the tasks that Dragonetti was single, something she has since admitted has opened Dragonetti up to a lot of online admirers and dating requests.

"I’m so sorry that I reported to the group that you were single," Winkleman told Dragonetti on the follow-up show. "I’ve had more messages about you," she continued, revealing that her inbox was full of queries about his relationship status. "More messages from friends of mine who were like ‘define single’", she added.

Fellow runner-up Francesca Rowan-Plowden added that she had also received messages about her friend and fellow Traitors competitor, recalling: "All my divorced friends have WhatsApped me like, ‘Can I have his number?’"

Winkleman went on to explain that she was even asked what Dragonetti smells like, something that prompted him to joke, "Please don't ask me that!"

All episodes of The Traitors are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.