Highlights
- Romesh Ranganathan has responded to criticism after donating half of his Celebrity Traitors prize money to the Refugee Council.
- The comedian and co-winner Sebastian ‘Bash’ Croft each donated their £41,500 winnings to refugee organisations.
- Ranganathan said the backlash had helped galvanise support for their decision.
Romesh Ranganathan has addressed the criticism he received after donating his Celebrity Traitors prize money to a refugee charity, saying he was frustrated by the rhetoric surrounding refugees.
The comedian won the 2026 series of the BBC reality show alongside actor Sebastian ‘Bash’ Croft, with both choosing to support organisations working with refugees. Ranganathan donated his £41,500 winnings to the Refugee Council, while Croft chose Choose Love.
Speaking on Croft's Sunday Scaries podcast, the pair discussed the reactions to their decisions, including messages from viewers who were unhappy with their choice of charities.
Why did Romesh Ranganathan face backlash over his donation?
Ranganathan said some people had criticised the decision, with messages describing their charity choices as a "disgrace" and branding the pair "the real Traitors all along".
However, he said the comments had largely made him laugh rather than changed his mind.
"Look, people have different opinions, but I feel like [refugees are] a distraction tactic, and people are being pointed in that direction for something to blame, is my personal opinion," he said.
The 48-year-old explained that he became involved with the Refugee Council because he had grown increasingly frustrated with the rhetoric directed at refugees.
He also said the negative reaction had encouraged others who supported their decision to speak up.
"The people kicking off about it has kind of galvanised the people that really think it's a lovely thing," he added.
"I think that discussion, that back and forth, has actually been really positive."
What did Bash Croft say about the Celebrity Traitors donation?
Croft donated his £41,500 prize money to Choose Love, an organisation that provides humanitarian aid and advocacy for refugees and displaced people around the world.
The 24-year-old actor said he first became involved with the charity when he was 15. Reflecting on the response to his donation, he said the criticism had made him think about the challenges faced by people seeking refuge.
"It felt like such a nice moment at the time, but then to see the response, what it made me realise is that's people's response to a game show donating money to people who are really vulnerable," he said.
"Imagine how difficult it is for those people navigating that system."
Croft also revealed that the pair had not discussed their charity choices beforehand, with both independently deciding to support refugee organisations.
How did Romesh Ranganathan and Bash Croft win Celebrity Traitors?
Ranganathan and Croft secured victory as Faithfuls in the 2026 series of The Celebrity Traitors, which was presented by Claudia Winkleman.
Their decision to donate their prize money to refugee organisations became another talking point following the finale, attracting both criticism and messages of support.
Choose Love later shared a clip from the podcast on Instagram, praising the pair for choosing "love over hate".
