‘The Traitors’ Franchise Rocked as Contestant Is Allegedly Shot Dead by His Ex
The Traitors has become one of the biggest reality TV franchises in the world, but the Finnish version of the show has had to postpone its season finale indefinitely after a contestant was murdered.
As reported by The Independent, 29-year-old Janne Puhakka, Finland’s first openly gay hockey player, was killed on October 13 after he was allegedly shot by his ex Rolf Nordmo, 66, who reportedly confessed to the murder.
Puhakka had been a contestant on Finland’s current season of The Traitors, where he took on the role of a traitor. He’d made it to the final episode with a chance to win the entire show. The finale, which was filmed earlier this year, was set to air this week.
In a translated statement from TV channel Nelonen, the network said (per The Independent), “The final episode of the season of Petolliset was scheduled to be shown on Thursday of this week. We have come to the conclusion that right now is not the right time to air an episode. We will return to the question of the possible presentation of the episode later. We share in the grief of Janne’s loved ones.”
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Speaking to the outlet Yle Urheilu, Finnish ice hockey expert Topi Nättinen said of Puhakka, “The first thing that comes to mind about Janne is a role model. His courage opened new doors socially, not only in Finland but also globally. [He] was an exceptional person both in the hockey community and the entire sports world. He was so brave. It may not even be understood how great a role model he has been for many.”
The Traitors originated in the Netherlands and has become a huge hit worldwide, with popular versions in the US and the UK. The show airs on Peacock in the US and sees former reality stars living in a castle in the Scottish Highlands with hopes of winning a large cash prize built up through missions.
As per the format, the contestants are divided into “Faithful” and “Traitors.” It is the job of the traitors to “murder” the faithful one by one, while it’s up to the faithful to figure out the traitors and banish them from the castle. If a traitor makes it to the end with a faithful, they steal the entire prize pot. The US version is hosted by actor Alan Cumming. A third season is set to air in 2025.
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