The Traitors Finland series halted after contestant murdered before finale airs
Janne Puhakka was 29 years old.
The final episode of The Traitors Finland has been postponed following the death of contestant Janne Puhakka.
Puhakka, a former Finnish professional ice hockey player, was murdered by his partner, local news outlet Yle has reported.
Puhakka was found dead at his home in Espoo on Sunday 13th October, where he lived with his partner, who had told police he shot Puhakka with a hunting shotgun.
"Based on the interrogation, the motive for the crime was the end of the relationship between the victim and the suspect," Detective Inspector Matti Högman told Yle. "[The suspect] has admitted that he caused Puhakka's death."
Puhakka has been starring in Finnish version of The Traitors, which is often filmed a year in advance, and TV channel Nelonen has made the decision to not air the final episode given the circumstances.
A statement from Nelonen read: "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."
Over the course of Puhakka's career, he played for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, Espoo Blues, TUTO Hockey, Espoo United and for Rapaces de Gap.
The 29-year-old was Finland's first openly gay professional ice hockey player, which he disclosed in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat in 2019.
"We wouldn't have to go through all this if everyone could be themselves in the locker room," he told the publication at the time. "I'm glad if even one junior or professional player finds something positive in this interview."
Liiga, Finland's ice hockey league, said in a statement: "The Finnish hockey community received sad news today when the news of Janne Puhakka's passing became public.
"Janne Puhakka was an important role model, and his courage and openness left an indelible mark on Finnish hockey.
"Puhakka played 40 league matches in the shirt of Espoo Blues in the 2015-16 season. During his career, he also played in Mestis and in the French league.
"In the under-18 national team, he won the World Championship bronze in 2013. The league offers its deepest condolences to Puhakka's family and loved ones."
Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
