BBC’s Celebrity Traitors Hit By Fierce Backlash As Winners’ Charity Choices Spark Outrage: ‘The Show Is Ruined’

The Celebrity Traitors finale was supposed to be a triumphant celebration of two hard-fought victories. Instead, the BBC hit a fresh controversy as Romesh Ranganathan and Bash Croft revealed where their £83,000 prize money would go — and some viewers were far from impressed.

After weeks of deception, tense confrontations and ruthless eliminations, the second celebrity series finally crowned its winners. But the decision to donate the money to two refugee charities quickly divided audiences, triggering an angry debate over who should benefit from the winnings.

Romesh And Bash Crowned Winners After Tense Final Showdown

The dramatic conclusion followed Thursday’s (October 29) explosive episode, which left four Faithfuls standing: Leigh Anne, Romesh Ranganathan, Sebastian “Bash” Croft and James Blunt.

Lurking among them were the two remaining Traitors, Maya Jama and King Kenny.

After a gripping final episode and two fierce roundtable discussions, the Faithfuls ultimately emerged victorious, with Romesh and Bash sharing the £83,000 prize fund equally.

Each winner walked away with £41,500 to donate to a charity of their choice.

Romesh selected the Refugee Council, while Bash chose Choose Love, a humanitarian organisation supporting queer refugees and displaced people.

What should have been a feel-good ending, however, quickly became a flashpoint for online criticism.

Viewers Furious Over Refugee Charity Donations

Social media erupted after the winners announced their choices, with several viewers questioning why the money was not going towards causes closer to home.

One frustrated viewer argued that James Blunt would have chosen to support military veterans, writing:

“Those charity choices just ruined that whole game … #celebritytraitors James Blunt 100% would have donated to army veterans – the real people in need. Disappointing.”

Another complained about the decision to support displaced refugees rather than homeless people and veterans in the UK, declaring:

“They give the charity money to displaced refugees… what about the UK homeless people/homeless UK veterans. Good grief. The London privileged Left have spoken.”

A third viewer went even further, questioning why the producers had allowed the choices in the first place:

“Oh f*** the f*** off. Refugee charities! How dare they? Charity is meant to begin at home. The producers should have vetoed those choices from the get-go. That is traitorous to this country. Never should that be allowed to happen.”

The backlash also attracted political commentator and TalkTV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer, who took aim at the BBC over the finale.

She wrote:

“The end of #CelebrityTraitors was the most BBC thing EVER. Because of COURSE the two winners are donating their winnings – our licence fee money – to a charity for refugees and a charity for ‘queer’ refugees.”

Not Everyone Was Against The Winners

Despite the criticism, plenty of viewers rushed to defend Romesh and Bash, arguing that the backlash had become unnecessarily hostile.

One fan questioned why anyone would object to money going towards charitable causes, writing:

“Why are some people so offended about the money going to charities. The woke charity thing is ridiculous. Charity is charity; surely that can only be a good thing.”

Another praised the winners for standing behind a shared cause, saying:

“So glad Bash and Romesh won. They had the same charity cause, to help refugees who have faced oppression. So it’s right those two are the winners.”

The divide turned the final donation announcement into one of the most contentious talking points surrounding the series.

James Blunt’s Final Decision Helped Seal His Fate

The charity controversy was not the only talking point from the finale.

James Blunt ultimately played a role in his own downfall during the final banishment. By voting not to end the game, he left Romesh with the opportunity to vote him out.

Bash eventually turned against James too, having already voted to eliminate King Kenny.

With the final Traitors exposed and the remaining Faithfuls victorious, the second celebrity series ended with an £83,000 charitable prize fund.

How The Celebrity Traitors Prize Money Works

Unlike the civilian version of The Traitors, celebrity contestants do not get to pocket the winnings themselves. The money accumulated throughout the competition is donated to charities selected by the eventual winners.

The prize pot starts at zero, with every successfully completed mission adding thousands of pounds to the total.

The format follows the same basic rules as the original series:

• If the remaining contestants are all Faithfuls: They divide the prize money equally.
• If a Traitor reaches the final without being caught: They steal the entire prize pot, leaving the Faithfuls with nothing.

The first celebrity series, which aired in 2025, saw contestants build a prize fund of £87,500. Traitor winner Alan Carr donated the entire amount to Neuroblastoma UK, a children’s cancer charity.

This time, Romesh and Bash walked away with the victory — but their choice of charities has left the BBC facing a very different kind of post-finale drama.