The Traitors: Charity receives £30,000 in donations after finalist Alexander shared his brother's moving story

Independent

27-01-2025

The Traitors finalist Alexander Dragonetti has inspired thousands of viewers to donate to a learning disability charity after he opened up about his late brother who was born with Global developmental delay (GDD).
The former British diplomat, 38, who made it through to the final of the latest season of the BBC deception game show, told fellow contestants during the series that if he were to win the show, he would have donated his prize fund to a charity close to his heart.
While Dragonetti was banished by the Faithful contestants during Friday night's final and did not win any of the £120,000 prize pot, viewers were been moved after he shared the story of his brother, who died aged 17.
The charity, which supports people with learning disabilities and their families, has revealed that it has received more than £30,000 in donations from over 2,000 Traitors viewers since the episode aired last week.
Speaking to his fellow contestants about where he would have donated the winning money, Dragonetti said during the show: 'I would like to give away some money to a charity I really care about. My brother had special needs and used to go to a summer camp. I'd love to put some money towards that to help it keep going because it gives parents a break.'
'My brother had global developmental delay, which just meant he was younger than his age and autism. He was 17 when he died and I was 24 and he looked up to me. I miss him a lot,' he added.
Dragonetti continued: 'My parents did an incredible job with my brother. And for them to get a break for even a week a year looking after someone with special needs – it can be a challenging job. I thought it was a brilliant thing for my brilliant family. And I'd love to keep that kinda of thing going.'
Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability at Mencap, said in a statement that the organisation was grateful to Dragonetti for 'courageously sharing his personal story about his brother'.
Sparkes continued: 'Despite not winning on Friday night Alexander remained faithful to the end and captured the hearts of the nation – he is our champion!'
'Telling his story has inspired a tremendous wave of generosity from the public. Their overwhelming support for Mencap has been incredible, with generous donations around £30,000. These donations are needed more now than ever as people with a learning disability continue to face extensive inequalities every day,' he said.
"We know that when the experiences of people with a learning disability, and their loved ones, are represented in the media, it helps to change attitudes and make our society more inclusive. We loved watching Alexander's journey throughout the show and want to thank him for all that he's done.'
According to Mencap, developmental delay is when a child takes longer to reach certain developmental milestones than other children their age. This might include learning to walk or talk, movement skills, learning new things and interacting with others socially and emotionally.
During Friday's The Traitors finale, Jake and Leanne were crowned as the joint winners, taking home £47,300 each, but not before they banished Charlotte, Alexander and Frankie. However, viewers were left disappointed after Dragonetti – a firm fan favourite – didn't win.
The reality game show series follows a group living in a castle in the Scottish Highlands, hosted by Claudia Winkleman. Among the contestants are a number of 'Traitors', who conspire to eliminate others without being detected.