Romesh Ranganathan Responds After BBC Receives Complaints About His Charity Choice

The BBC has acknowledged complaints over the charities selected by Celebrity Traitors winners Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian Croft, after the pair donated their share of the show’s £83,000 prize to organisations supporting refugees and displaced people. Ranganathan, 48, gave his £41,500 portion to the Refugee Council. Croft, 24, chose Choose Love. The corporation said on its complaints page that it had received feedback from viewers unhappy with the winners’ decisions, adding that the concerns had been shared with the relevant parties. Speaking on Croft’s Sunday Scaries podcast, Ranganathan said he believed refugees were being used as a “distraction tactic” and as a group for people to blame. He said he chose the Refugee Council because he had grown tired of rhetoric directed against refugees, and noted that some people had called his decision a disgrace. The comedian also said the criticism had helped galvanise people who supported the donation, describing the resulting discussion as positive. He added that the two winners had chosen refugee-focused organisations independently, calling the coincidence a matter of chance. Croft said the reaction had made him reflect on how people spoke about donations intended for vulnerable communities. Choose Love’s acting chief executive, Emma Stevenson, welcomed the actor’s contribution and thanked him for selecting the organisation. The BBC’s response addressed the complaints about both winners’ choices, while the pair stood by their decisions.