The highly anticipated finale of the BBC One reality competition show, The Celebrity Traitors, was mistakenly published by international broadcasters hours ahead of its scheduled UK screening on Thursday evening, the BBC has confirmed. It is understood that the final episode was viewed by a few hundred subscribers of the Canadian streaming service Crave, where it was accessible for approximately two hours before being taken down. The corporation has clarified that the early upload of the episode was not a BBC error, and a spokesperson for the broadcaster appealed to the public to refrain from discussing the outcome to protect the viewing experience for others, reports The WP Times with reference to BBC.

In a statement, the corporation urged anyone who believes they know the result to “keep whatever they believe they know to themselves.” The statement further requested the public to “avoid sharing potential spoilers so that the millions of fans who have been faithfully following every twist and turn of the series can enjoy the final this evening.” The BBC’s plea underscores the immense popularity of the show, which currently holds the title of the year’s most-watched TV program, having averaged 12.6 million viewers across its first four episodes.

Fans of the series are keenly awaiting the result to see if the Traitors, Cat Burns and Alan Carr, succeed in winning the £100,000 prize for charity, or if the Faithfuls—comprised of Joe Marler, Nick Mohammed, and David Olosuga—will emerge triumphant. Jake Brown, who was one of the winners of the third series of The Traitors earlier this year, spoke to the BBC, emphasizing that “no one likes spoilers,” calling them “the thief of joy.” He confirmed he plans to watch the final live with his family and "a bucket of popcorn." The final episode airing on Thursday evening is an extended 70-minute broadcast on BBC One, followed by an extended edition of the after-show, The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, on BBC Two. Host Ed Gamble will be joined by the full cast and regular host Claudia Winkleman to discuss the dramatic conclusion.

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