Sebastian Croft has won The Celebrity Traitors, and his share of the prize is going towards a cause he supported before entering the castle.
The queer Heartstopper actor and comedian Romesh Ranganathan emerged as joint winners in the October 30 final, securing £83,000 for their chosen charities.
ITV News reported that each winner’s share is £41,500.
Croft chose Choose Love, while Ranganathan selected the Refugee Council.
A cause with a personal connection
Speaking about his choice during the programme, Croft explained that he had previously volunteered with Choose Love.
He said the money would support refugees and displaced people, with a particular emphasis on queer people.
Choose Love is a broader humanitarian organisation, and Croft highlighted LGBTQ+ people as a particular focus of his contribution.
The charity supports people displaced by conflict and persecution through emergency assistance and longer-term help.
For Croft, the win follows a public career in which queer identity has become increasingly central to his work and advocacy.
In an October interview with Rolling Stone UK, he discussed how being part of Heartstopper helped challenge his earlier concerns that being open about his sexuality might limit his acting opportunities.
What the charity says the money means
In a statement reported by PA and published by The Standard, Choose Love’s acting chief executive Emma Stevenson thanked Croft for his longstanding support.
“This vital funding will quite literally change and save lives.”
Stevenson explained that the contribution would extend assistance to refugees and displaced people, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals facing violence and persecution because of who they are.
Ranganathan’s chosen organisation also celebrated his victory.
Charity Times reported that the Refugee Council praised its patron and described its work helping refugees rebuild their lives in Britain.
Criticism, and the people beyond the television show
The donations prompted criticism from some commentators.
Attitude reported that presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer objected on X to the winners choosing refugee charities and questioned whether those organisations needed the additional funding.
The charities’ responses offer another way to understand the outcome: through the practical support the winnings can help provide.
For viewers, the programme’s appeal was its mix of alliances, accusations and dramatic reversals.
For the organisations chosen by the winners, the final also created an opportunity to explain why their work matters.
Croft and Ranganathan leave the series with a shared victory and £83,000 directed towards people seeking safety.
That gives this particular television ending a significance beyond finding out who was faithful all along.
📷 BBC / Studio Lambert / Paul Chappells
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