The Traitors: Contestant says hit BBC show restored her faith in humanity

By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

The Traitors winner Hannah Byczkowski has said the reality show was a “real life lesson” on the importance of trust after she quit her job and endured a break-up shortly before entering.

An average of 3.3 million people tuned in to watch 32-year-old comedian Hannah, call centre agent Meryl Williams, (25) and 24-year-old property agent Aaron Evans crowned the winner, splitting the £101,050 prize money, a BBC spokesperson said.

The programme, which began airing last month, saw 22 strangers play “the ultimate game of detection, backstabbing and trust” at a castle in the Scottish Highlands in the hope of winning big.

Speaking of her experience, Hannah told the PA news agency: “What I thought was great about the show was that not one person in there was a villain. Every single person, no matter where we had a difference, was a good person and a nice person.

“It’s been a real lesson about how important it is to trust people no matter who it is, and trust people with your feelings.

“I was going through a break-up when I first got in there, everyone goes through a break-up, it’s not a sob story, but I wasn’t handling it particularly well and to go in there and make such good friends and build such bonds with people, it kind of helped me get over all that cynicism and all the sadness that I was feeling.

“It just reminds me how important friends are. It’s just been so heart-warming. We’re friends for life whether or not we want to be.”

Hannah revealed that after finishing the show, 16 of the 22 contestants went on holiday together to British resort Center Parcs where they “really tore up those rapids”.

The comedian, who is spending her winnings on a car to travel to and from London and Stoke-on-Trent for her gigs, said since the show aired venues who previously would not have her have booked her in.

“They’ve got no shame. I’m so grateful and I feel so lucky that it’s happened,” she said.

“I quit my job just before I went into the show so I was worried. It was a really strange feeling to go in there a bit worried, then come out not worried.”

Meanwhile, fellow winner Meryl said she would be spending her money on changing her career path from her call centre job in the hope of becoming a TV presenter.

Meryl, from Edinburgh, said: “My dream was to have my own talk show called Minutes With Meryl. I know it’s way off, but that’s my dream.

“So now I’ve obviously got the funds behind me I can now explore that career path a lot more and to try and do something I really feel passionate about.”

Over the course of the series, four players were made secret traitors and were tasked with “murdering” the other faithful contestants, while the latter had to root out the traitors and “banish” them.

After weeks of the treacherous game, Thursday’s episode saw the finalists banish traitors Kieran Tompsett and Wilfred Webster to stop them taking home the jackpot.

Meryl said she felt “very lucky” that her fellow contestants spotted that Wilfred was a traitor, stopping him at the 11th hour during the dramatic final episode.

“I missed the warning signs. I do feel very grateful that I did finally listen to them,” she said.

Meanwhile Aaron, who has given his mother his winnings to put a deposit on a house, said the reality show’s host Claudia Winkleman was so “supportive”.

He said: “Auntie Claud… I just warmed to her so much. She reminds me of my auntie so much as well. By day three onwards it felt like she was such a part, it never felt like she was the presenter, it felt like she was one of us in the end.

“It was so nice to have someone like her on the show because I genuinely do believe that she had so much love for all of us and we just loved her so much back.

“She just wanted us to do well, she was just incredible to work with and I don’t think anybody else could have done it much better.”