Celebrity Traitors Winners Respond To People 'Kicking Off About' Prize Money Going To Refugee Charities

Celebrity Traitors victors Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft have spoken out about the tiresome discourse that has come off the back of them both choosing to donate their winning prize money to organisations that help refugees.

In The Celebrity Traitors, each famous player competes on behalf of a charity, all of which are revealed at the end of the series.

Following their win in this year’s final, Romesh and Sebastian shared that each of them had chosen to donate money to refugee charities, with the former playing for Refugee Council and the latter picking Choose Love.

Romesh and Sebastian were recently reunited on the former Heartstopper star’s podcast Sunday Scaries, where the stand-up comedian declared that the “slay of the week” was “you and I both donating to refugee charities”.

Pointing out that Sebastian had been volunteering with Choose Love for many years, he explained: “I had got involved with Refugee Council because I was so fed up with the rhetoric against refugees and how these people had been demonised.

“I feel like – look, people have different opinions, but I feel like [demonising refugees is] a distraction tactic, and people have been pointed in that direction for things to blame. That’s my personal opinion, please don’t [come at] me any more than you have done.”

Following this year’s Celebrity Traitors final, the usual suspects on the far-right have taken issue with the BBC show’s winners both opting for refugee charities, with Romesh insisting that them both doing so was a “coincidence”.

Addressing “the discussion that’s had off the back of it”, the Weakest Link host continued: “I think the voices that are angry about it have been amplified because that’s ‘the fun angle’, right?

“But loads of people have come out in support – and actually, the people kicking off about it has actually galvanised the people who think it’s a lovely thing. I think that discussion – not argument – but that back and forth has actually been really positive.”

Sebastian responded: “It was so funny when we got to the end and we both realised, because nobody really discussed [their charities]. It wasn’t like we were sat there assuming we were going to win. And so, it felt like such a nice moment at the time.

“But yeah, to see the response… what it made me realise [is if] that’s people’s response to a game show donating money to people who are really vulnerable, imagine how difficult it is for those people navigating that system.”

Choose Love reposted this clip on their Instagram, enthusing: “It’s always a slay to make love louder than hate.

“The Traitors finale was a powerful moment of solidarity towards refugees and displaced communities. Thank you Bash and Romesh for standing up and speaking out. Always Choose Love.”

Last month, the chief executive of the Refugee Council said in light of Romesh’s Celebrity Traitors victory: “We have loved every minute of watching Romesh and cheering him along from the sidelines. To see him win is the icing on the cake!

“Romesh continues to be a brilliant champion for our cause. His support will help us continue to provide vital frontline services to refugees and people in the asylum system who come to Britain in search of safety and the chance to rebuild their lives.”

Meanwhile, Choose Love’s acting chief executive also said: “We are absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to Bash for choosing Choose Love as his designated charity following his incredible win on Celebrity Traitors.

“Bash has been a long-time friend and dedicated supporter of our work, and we could not be prouder of him. This vital funding will quite literally change and save lives.

“It allows us to extend critical support to refugees and displaced people, especially LGBTQ+ individuals who face displacement, violence and persecution simply for who they are.”

“We can’t thank Bash enough, it means the world,” they added.