The finale of the Finnish version of The Traitors that was due to air has been put on hold following the murder of one of its contestants.
Jaane Puhakka, 29, was found dead at his home last Sunday evening.
On the night in question, a bystander called the police to his apartment, suspecting a violent crime had taken place.
Puhakka's partner - Rolf Nordmo, 66 - has reportedly confessed to the killing, allegedly shooting the gameshow contestant with a shotgun after their recent breakup, according to Finnish news outlet YLE.
Detective Inspector Matti Högman said that there is "reason to believe the suspect's actions were deliberate and cruel," adding that "the suspect and victim knew each other."
At the time of his death, Puhakka had been competing in the second season of The Traitors Finland, a reality TV series that airs on Nelonen and is hosted by actor and comedian Christoffer Strandberg.
According to Finland’s national broadcaster YLE, the series was filmed earlier this year in February and March, and Puhakka was still an active participant, playing the role of a Traitor.
Nelonen has since decided to delay the airing of the season finale.
In a statement posted to social media, the network wrote: “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.”
While most fans have supported the decision, others have claimed that the episode should be aired in tribute to the 29-year-old, per the Metro.
Puhakka made history in 2019 as he became Finland’s first openly gay ice hockey player.
In a 2022 interview with Mirror, Puhakka and his partner, opened up about their relationship. Puhakka admitted to keeping their romance private for years because he was "scared of the way I would be perceived in the ultra-masculine sporting world."
The couple’s relationship began in 2014 when they connected online. Rolf, then living in Oslo, flew three times to Helsinki to meet Puhakka.
Initially, Nordmo doubted the long-term potential of the relationship due to their significant age gap, dismissing it as "just a summer fling."
However, the two grew closer, and Nordmo eventually visited Puhakka while he was working in Canada.
During that time, Puhakka stayed with a host family and told them that Nordmo was his uncle to maintain their privacy.
Reflecting on those days, Nordmo said: "It felt so weird to be hiding our relationship; I just wanted to say he was my boyfriend."
When appearing together publicly, the pair often pretended to be friends or maintained the uncle-nephew story to avoid judgment.
Nordmo shared that onlookers sometimes assumed they were a "sugar daddy and baby" or even a father-son duo.
Despite these challenges, they persisted in their relationship.
"We both had to battle with ourselves to get to the point we are now. We love each other, and that’s all that matters," Puhakka once said.
Over time, their friends and family came to understand that their relationship, while unconventional to some, was not "strange" and that they "complement each other."
Nordmo, who came out as gay at the age of 40, had previously been married to a woman for 17 years and has three children, per the Daily Mail.
He informed them about his relationship with Puhakka in February 2015, and though their reactions were mixed at first, they grew to accept the couple over time.
.jpg_DxGeHs?tr=h-184)
