Australian rules footballer Kirby Bentley has won the grand final of reality television series The Traitors Australia, taking home the entire $200,600 cash prize after deceiving her fellow finalists in the season finale.
The 40-year-old Carlton AFLW star, who entered the competition as an original Traitor, outlasted her rivals after a final round of eliminations on Network 10. She secured the full prize pot by blindsiding reality television personality Keira Maguire in the closing moments of the show.
Following her victory, host Gretel Killeen confirmed the result on Wednesday night, telling Bentley that the $200,600 was all hers to celebrate. Bentley expressed shock at the outcome after surviving multiple close votes during the competition.
"Oh God, I'm paying for my sister's wedding," Bentley said after being crowned by Killeen. "I just won The Traitors when I nearly got banished on day two, three, four, five... I nearly got banished every single day!"
The athlete reflected on the financial and personal significance of her win, noting how close she had come to elimination earlier in the season. She added: "Everything that I do is bigger than just me. $200,000, it does change your life, and I just don't think that it's sunk in right now. To win The Traitors as the OG Traitor? Cheers!"
Final challenge and wedding plans
Bentley, who was born in Perth, Western Australia, is a prominent figure in women's Australian rules football. She currently plays for the Carlton Football Club in the AFL Women's competition, known as the AFLW. Her extensive background in elite sport provided her with strategic discipline throughout the psychological competition.
In the grand final episode, the four remaining contestants competed in one final challenge designed to increase the total prize money before confronting the ultimate test of trust. The players were given 30 minutes to correctly name every contestant who had been banished or murdered throughout the season, in the exact order they left the game.
Aboriginal representation and game strategy
The final challenge narrowed down to Bentley and Maguire, a former contestant on The Bachelor Australia. Throughout the season, the Perth-born athlete managed to convince her co-stars that she was not a Traitor and that she was on their side, despite operating secretly in the enemy camp.
Speaking on her triumph, Bentley highlighted the broader significance of her accomplishment for her community and family. "Everything that I've done has definitely been worth it. This is massive, not only for my family, but for Aboriginal people, and women as well," she said.
All-star cast and castle location
Bentley competed against a broad roster of public figures in this season's all-star lineup. Her fellow competitors included comedian Rhys Nicholson, Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh, and former Australian Idol judge Ian "Dicko" Dickson.
The contestants were sent to a lavish castle location in New Zealand, where they were secretly divided into two factions: the Faithfuls and the Traitors. While the Faithfuls worked to identify and vote out hidden opponents, the Traitors spent the game lying, manipulating, and secretly eliminating their fellow contestants.
The players competed in challenges to build up the cash prize before facing tense Round Table sessions, where they voted to banish the contestant they believed to be a Traitor. Under show rules, if the Faithfuls banish every Traitor by the end of the season, they share the prize money, but if even one Traitor makes it to the end, that player steals the entire pot.
