24-05-2025
EXCLUSIVE The Traitors winner Jake Brown shares his surprise favourite for star-studded Celebrity spin-off and reveals the unlikely purchase he's made with his long-awaited prize money
The Traitors winner Jake Brown has tipped social media star Niko Omilana as his pick to win the Celebrity spin-off of the BBC show.
Jake, 28, was crowned joint winner of the third series of the hit show, and was quick to share his thoughts on the star-studded lineup.
Speaking to MailOnline at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend on Saturday, Jake said: 'For me it's Niko [Omilana], the YouTuber.
'If you watch his YouTube videos, he's very good at manipulating people.'
Niko, 27, was unveiled as part of the latest cast for the reality show - alongside the likes of Cat Burns and Alan Carr - which previously drew in more than seven million viewers for the season finale.
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Jake won the series alongside faithful Leanne Quigley, and previously revealed how their lives have been 'chaotic' since they won.
The pair took home a staggering cash prize of £94,600, which was split between them.
And during the interview, Jake also confirmed his prize money has finally come through after having to wait months for the series to hit screens.
He added: 'I've spent some of it already, but on boring stuff! I bought a new suit. I bought new flooring for the house.'
'I've given mum and dad some money as well. But I've still got quite a lot of it, so,' Jake continued.
Asked if there's anything he wants to spend the rest on, he said he wants to 'go on holidays and treat the wife.'
The project manager is the first ever contestant to have cerebral palsy and bravely opened up about his 'lifelong struggle' with the movement disorder towards the end of the series.
Speaking about why he chose not to tell his fellow contestants until later on, he explained: 'I think because all my life I have tried to hide it and especially when I was younger, I used to be a bit ashamed of it.
'I just wanted to be normal and it wasn't till I was older I realised I am normal. It's part of who I am, it makes me who I am. I wouldn't be me without it.'
During the series the contestants were challenged to haul huge Easter Island style statues up a mountain in order to add more money to the prize pot, a task which was particularly difficult for Jake.
He admitted: 'In that challenge, I was struggling with my grip and I kept dropping the statues and I just thought I shouldn't suffer in silence, and now I'm more confident.
'I think it's good to be open and not ashamed of it. I want people watching at home to think, if they have got a disability, no matter what it is, be proud of it.
'I told Alexander and it was a weight off my shoulders. The rest of the mission after that felt like a breeze, even though I was still struggling, it felt like now I've told my piece and it just felt much better.'
'I didn't wanna be that person that's like, 'by the way I've got a disability'. That's not me, I wanted to be myself. I don't want someone's first impression of me to be, "It's Jake, the guy with Cerebral palsy.'
