The Big Deal with Steph McGovern winners crowned after final challenge

Belfast friends Gavin and Liam have been crowned the winners of The Big Deal with Steph McGovern after battling it out against two remaining teams in the grand series finale.

The nail-biting final aired on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer on Wednesday 16 September, before being shown on BBC Two on Thursday 17 September.

The finalists were challenged to put everything they had learned throughout the series into practice as they competed for the overall win.

Who won The Big Deal with Steph McGovern?

Gavin and Liam emerged victorious after beating South Londoners Charles and Darren in the final challenge.

Gavin and Liam celebrate after winning The Big Deal series finale. (Picture: BBC)

Brother and sister Ollie and Bella were eliminated first, leaving the two remaining teams to face the final deal.

Their final challenge saw the teams pitch a six-figure piece of art at the Frieze Sculpture outdoor exhibition in Regent's Park to a group of industry experts.

Series mentor Cordelia de Freitas had the difficult task of choosing the overall winner and was joined by guest mentor Matt Carey-Williams to oversee the final challenges.

Steph McGovern reacts to Gavin and Liam's win

Steph McGovern said she was thrilled to see the Belfast pair take the title after watching their confidence grow throughout the competition.

"I'm buzzing that our two Belfast lads, Gavin and Liam, won The Big Deal. They looked so intimidated at the start, but week after week they showed up, listened to the experts and took on all the advice they were given. And it paid off! I'm so proud of them. I can't wait to see what they do next."

Cordelia said Gavin and Liam initially appeared to be well outside their comfort zone when she first met them at the Royal Academy.

"When I first met the contestants on the stairs of the Royal Academy, nearly all of them had an element of confidence, but there was something in Gavin and Liam that was naïve."

She explained that she immediately saw an opportunity to help the pair develop their knowledge and confidence in the art world.

"They were so clearly out of their comfort zone. I thought then and there, 'I can turn them into art dealers.' And I didn't even know at that point that they'd never stepped inside an art gallery before."

Gavin and Liam overcome early setback

Cordelia also reflected on the pair's performance during the Margate challenge, where they suffered a setback but used the experience to improve.

"They took a real knock in the Margate challenge, but they took their mistakes on board and learned from them, and, together with Darren and Charles, totally and utterly deserved to be in the final. And, of course, to win the series."

The victory brings the first series of The Big Deal with Steph McGovern to a close after the contestants were put through a series of challenges designed to test their ability to buy, sell and understand art.