Romesh Ranganathan breaks his silence on 'incredible' Celebrity Traitors victory as he reflects on his 'full-on' castle stint and confesses he 'walked a thin line between a great game and a terrible one'

Romesh Ranganathan has revealed he 'walked a thin line between a great game and a terrible one' on Celebrity Traitors, while speaking for the first time about his 'incredible' victory on the show.The comedian was crowned champion in Friday's final alongside actor Sebastian Croft, after they successfully banished Maya Jama and King Kenny from the castle.Speaking on his BBC Radio 2 show hours after the final had aired, Romesh admitted his time on the show was 'full-on,' and admitted there were times when he thought he was about to be murdered.The final drew in a huge 11.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched show of 2026 so far. Opening his show, Romesh was greeted with huge cheers from members of his crew as he announced himself as the 'winner of Celebrity Traitors.'Sharing insight into his time in the famous castle, he said: 'I knew it was going to be immersive, but honestly I cannot explain to you how full-on it is. Romesh Ranganathan has revealed he 'walked a thin line between a great game and a terrible one' on Celebrity Traitors, while speaking for the first time about his 'incredible' victory'You are basically, the whole time, you're living that game, and imagine the situation where, obvs you're on camera, but you can't trust anyone you're talking to, fully.'And that is your kind of existence it's such a weird thing, and equally I've known what's happened for a while, but there were so many moments in that game where I thought I was done for. 'When Rob, Leigh-Anne, Ross Kemp and myself were in the crypt, and they were deciding which one of us to murder, I just literally to me, I felt like I'd stuck my head above the parapet in the round table. 'I was joking around because obviously I wanted Leigh-Anne to have the key, but similarly I thought 'have I just exposed myself here?' Is this me done? And so that moment, when I hugged Claudia that was real, I genuinely thought I'm going home.'Similarly I had no idea how much I'd been spoken about in terms of murder, that was weird to watch back.'The shield challenge, where my pieces got moved, and I didn't complete the shield. I thought I'm definitely gonna get murdered tonight because obvs targeting me they've signalled that.'And then, I know this sounds like faux humility, it's such a thin line between a great game and a terrible game as a faithful. 'When we, [Sebastian] and I won. I just cannot, it was just incredible, and there was a moment where I knew we'd won and Bash didn't. The comedian was crowned champion in Friday's final alongside actor Sebastian Croft, after they successfull banished Maya Jama and King Kenny from the castle 'And I thought ''let's keep this going for about three minutes,'' but I didn't. 'And you know the other thing? The same night that Bash and I won The Traitors, Arsenal were confirmed as Premier League champions. I'm gonna tell you, it was a hell of a night!'Viewers applauded Romesh and Sebastian for beating Traitors Maya Jama and King Kenny, who went under the radar until Thursday's episode, when their fellow Traitor James Acaster revealed his identity in a moment of stress.They scooped £41,500 each for their chosen charities – Choose Love for Sebastian and the Refugee Council for Ranganathan. They shared an embrace as host Claudia Winkleman congratulated them on their big win.'I trusted Bash and I was right to. I cannot believe it! I just really hope my mum is proud,' the comedian said.In his exit interview, he added: 'I think my biggest highlight is making a friend in Bash - relying on the fact that I thought he was a friend in that end game and that paying off, that is something I feel really good about.Sebastian broke down in tears and said: 'That was just incredible. This might actually be the best day of my life.'Adding what the highlight of his experience was, the actor shared: 'It was the moment that Rom said the word Faithful, and the hug that we had was just wild, it was crazy.'The duo then joined the host and celebrity finalists outside the picturesque Ardross Castle, where they raised a glass around the fire pit.Just days before his big moment on the show, Ranganathan branded himself a 'national treasure' and told an audience of around 140 guests that he 'knew who the winner was'.'I'm sure you're excited that I'm here,' he told the crowd, adding: 'It's a big deal for the people in the front row who can practically smell me. National treasure right in front of you.'First of all, let's get it out of the way: who wants to know what happens in The Traitors?'One source told the Daily Mail that after asking the question, the audience went wild. However, Ranganathan was on his best behaviour, avoiding any spoilers - and a telling off from the BBC.The comedian is known to be the broadcaster's 'golden boy', starring in a string of their programmes, as well as having his own Radio 2 show.Earlier this year, the Daily Mail revealed he was paid to front the 'shameless' BBC licence-fee advert. The four-minute advertisement campaigns for the £180-a-year bill and begs viewers to pay it.He continued to tell the crowd: 'I bet you do! I'm not allowed to tell you, unfortunately, but I do know.'The Weakest Link presenter made the comments in front of an intimate crowd at a pub in New Malden while testing new comedy material for his forthcoming tour, Romesh Ranganathan Will Change Your Life, which kicks off next month.Just hours before the final, he added more dates to the mammoth tour.'Basically I'm going on tour in a bit, and I'm just polishing up some of the bits I'm not sure about and trying some new stuff. Obviously if it was all finished I wouldn't be performing here,' he added.His Traitors win is set to propel his already successful career, with industry insiders now describing him as the 'most wanted man on television', alleging he earns the equivalent of £40,000 per week.'He is also the hardest-working man in TV and is so well-liked. It's paid off for him massively, and he has stayed incredibly humble despite his huge new earnings and opportunities. He hasn't forgotten where he came from,' one source said.Meanwhile, Croft, who is already a recognisable face having appeared in Game of Thrones and Heartstopper, has launched his music career.Earlier in the series, BBC chiefs were left bewildered as the show found itself subject to accusations of racism after Myha'la, best known for starring in the BBC drama Industry, said there was 'unconscious racial and cultural bias' within the game after she became the second star to be 'banished' last week.However, bosses are said to be thrilled with the outcome of the hit show.At the beginning of the final episode, Maya and Kenny murdered Michael Sheen.As he departed, the actor said: 'Ah the time has come. I'm gutted that I got so close to the end but it has been unforgettable. But I am happy I got so close to the end.'Tensions also reached boiling point at the final roundtable, with Maya and James Blunt embroiled in a heated exchange.But in a devastating twist, Kenny turned on his fellow Traitor, betraying Maya by voting for her,Before being crowned the winners during the Celebrity Traitors final episode, Acaster took centre stage on Thursday. And in a show first, the comedian revealed he was a Traitor at the roundtable before the vote had even begun.