Romesh Ranganathan breaks silence on BBC Celebrity Traitors refugee charities row as he addresses backlash

Mr Ranganathan, 48, directed his £41,500 to the Refugee Council, where he has served as patron since September, while Mr Croft, 24, gave his share to Choose Love, a humanitarian organisation supporting displaced communities worldwide.

Their charity selections ignited a fierce debate on social media, with critics and supporters clashing over whether the donations were appropriate.

On the latest episode of Mr Croft’s podcast Sunday Scaries, Mr Ranganathan explained his personal connection to the cause as he addressed the reaction the pair had faced.

“I know that you volunteered for Choose Love when you were younger,” he said to Mr Croft. “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.”

He then offered his own take on why hostility towards refugees persists. “I feel like… Look, people have different opinions, but I feel like they’re (refugees) a distraction tactic, and people are being pointed in that direction for something to blame, is my personal opinion.”

The comedian also mentioned that neither he nor Mr Croft had coordinated their charity choices, describing it as pure “coincidence” that both opted to support refugee organisations.

Mr Ranganathan went on to address the backlash directly, saying: “The voices that are angry about it have been amplified because that’s the fun angle, right? But 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.”

The comedian suggested that the “back and forth” between opposing sides had “actually been really positive,” arguing that the controversy had prompted open conversations and drawn greater attention to the issues at stake.

Choose Love subsequently shared a clip of the podcast exchange on their Instagram page, saying both men had chosen “love over hate”.

Mr Croft also reflected on the moment during the podcast, echoing the fact that neither man had coordinated their winning charity preferences.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Among the furore facing Mr Croft and Mr Ranganathan were several faces from The People’s Channel.

GB News presenter Alex Armstrong said on X that nothing had gone to causes supporting “British people,” such as homeless or veterans’ charities, arguing celebrities back refugee organisations to remain “popular with studios.”

Nana Akua echoed this during his show on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer branded the outcome “the most BBC thing EVER,” while journalist Charlotte Gill contended that the Refugee Council had already received £41.6 million in taxpayer funding between 2021 and 2025, insisting “so many small, struggling charities could have done with the help and publicity.”

Others rallied behind the winners, with political commentator Narinder Kaur calling the split between two refugee charities “the best bit” of the result.

Despite being eliminated during the finale, Maya Jama donated £83,500 of her own money to Action for Children on Saturday.