Contestants on reality TV show The Traitors were left “gutted” after wiping out the wrong person leaving all three traitors among their ranks.
Accounts supervisor Nicky, 45, from south Croydon, was almost unanimously voted off the BBC show following a tense debate about who to “banish” for the first time in the series.
The show began on Tuesday with 22 strangers arriving at a Scottish Highlands castle to play “the ultimate game of detection, backstabbing and trust” in the hope of winning up to £120,000.
Host Claudia Winkleman selected three “traitors” for the series while the rest of the players became “the faithful” and were kept in the dark about the identity of their enemies.
Wednesday’s episode saw traitors 54-year-old estate agent Amanda, 28-year-old senior fundraiser Wilfred and 21-year-old business student Alyssa “murder” their first contestant 23-year-old Masters graduate Aisha from Manchester.
After the “murdered” player was removed, all the contestants had to meet and decide to “banish” someone they suspect of being a traitor.
Nicky, who had joined the shows in the hope of winning to pay for a bionic hand which had been amputated following a car crash, was chosen by her fellow competitors.
Revealing whether she was a “traitor” of a “faithful”, she said: “I would just like to say you know what it was a hard decision to make, and it’s not been very pleasant sat here. However, you’re all wrong, I am a faithful.”
Winkleman, 50, said: “Nicky, they got it so wrong. Thank you so much. You can now leave the castle.”
To win the prize money, players must avoid being “murdered” or “banished”.
When the competition draws to a close, the few remaining players will share the prize pot if they are all faithful.
However, if there is still an undetected traitor among them, the traitor walks away with the entire amount.
Throughout the competition, they will build up the cash pot through a series of games.