Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian 'Bash' Croft react to backlash at Celebrity Traitors charity choice
The Celebrity Traitors winners Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian 'Bash' Croft have responded to the "anger" after they both donated their £41,500 prize money on the BBC show to charities supporting refugees.
Romesh Ranganathan has hit back at the "anger" at his choice of charity in donating his Celebrity Traitors winnings.
The 48-year-old comedian triumphed alongside actor and musician Sebastian 'Bash' Croft on the second series of the hit BBC show and has responded to criticism for donating his £41,500 prize money to the Refugee Council.
Appearing on the Sunday Scaries podcast with Croft (who donated his winnings to refugee charity Choose Love), Romesh said: "I know that you volunteered for Choose Love when you were younger.
"And I had got involved with Refugee Council because I got so fed up of the rhetoric against refugees and how these people are being demonised.
"I feel like... 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."
The Weakest Link presenter feels that the "anger" over the charity choices has been "amplified" but highlighted how the backlash has also "galvanised" supporters of the charity.
Romesh said: "Loads of people have come out in support.
"And actually, the people kicking off about it has kind of galvanised the people who think it's a lovely thing."
Croft explained that he and Romesh only realised that they were both donating their prize money to refugee charities at the end of the show.
The 24-year-old star said: "It was so funny when we got to the end, and we both realised, because no one really discussed (charities). It wasn't like we assumed we were gonna win.
"And so 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. Imagine how difficult it is for those people navigating that system."
Meanwhile, Croft revealed that he "fainted" during a grave-digging challenge on the show after being pushed to his limits by former EastEnders star Ross Kemp.
The Heartstopper actor recalled: "Every time I was, like, exhausted it was like, 'Right, get into this!'
"Ross was locked in, being a superstar and really carrying the mission.
"Anyway got to the end and felt really lightheaded and fainted.
"Then I was sat there, and there was the medic, giving me water, and I was eating chocolate to get my blood sugar up
"And I look up, and there's like Jerry [Hall] and Richard [E. Grant] looking at me like, you're pathetic. This is so embarrassing."
