Fans of BBC’s The Traitors raise more than £46,000 for Mencap
Thousands of viewers have responded to finalist Alexander Dragonetti’s moving words about his late brother, who had a learning disability
Leading charity the Royal Mencap Society, which works with people with learning disabilities, says it has been ‘blown away’ by the generous donations it’s received from thousands of viewers of the popular BBC TV series The Traitors in the past few days.
Photo courtesy of BBC Media Centre
In an episode broadcast last Friday, the finalists in the TV contest enjoyed a dinner at which they discussed what they would spend the prize money on – if they won. Alexander Dragonetti, a former British diplomat from London, said he would like to support people with learning difficulties.
He went on to speak movingly about his own late brother, who had global developmental delay, the name for when a child takes longer to reach certain developmental milestones than other children of the same age.
Though Alexander didn’t ultimately win the contest, his words clearly struck a chord with viewers who were soon making donations to Mencap on his behalf. Word spread quickly on social media among fans of The Traitors.
Yesterday, more than 2,000 people had made a donation, raising some £30,000. Today, the figure stands at £46,000 – and continues to rise.
The charity says that all donations received will go directly towards tackling the daily inequalities faced by people with a learning disability and so help them to lead happy, healthy lives.
Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of Mencap, says: ‘We are really grateful to Alexander for courageously sharing his personal story about his late brother who had a learning disability on The Traitors. 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. These donations are needed more now than ever as people with a learning disability continue to face extensive inequalities every day.
‘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.’
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