# The Traitors finalist inspires thousands to donate to Mencap

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/01/29/the-traitors-finalist-inspires-thousands-to-donate-to-mencap/
- Published: 2025-01-29T07:55:03+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**So far fans of The Traitors have donated £46,000 to Mencap since the final, after
finalist Alexander Dragonetti shared his experience of having a brother with a learning
disability.**

Dragonetti talked about his late brother who had Global Developmental Delay during
the finalists’ dinner, which aired on Friday 24 January. He has also shared that
his brother went on a [Mencap](https://www.mencap.org.uk/) holiday every year and
that he himself was a carer for Mencap for five years. If he had won, he had pledged
to give some of the money to the charity.

By the following Monday (27 January) more than 2,000 people had donated to Mencap,
raising around £30,000. By the evening of 28 January, this had risen to over 3,000
people and more than £46k, with people still giving.

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> 🎶Spur ber yer yer yer yer🎶
> Traitors Fans are faithful to the end🙌Since Friday,
> over £46,000 has been donated to Mencap by over 3,000 people after hearing Alexander
> Dragonetti ’s story! [pic.twitter.com/6ofwOr1q2n](https://t.co/6ofwOr1q2n)
> — Mencap (@mencap_charity) [January 28, 2025](https://twitter.com/mencap_charity/status/1884296814448501022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Fans have also taken to social media to encourage others to donate and have shared
their reasons for supporting Mencap.

The contributions will go directly towards tackling the daily inequalities faced
by people with a learning disability.

Speaking when donations reached £30k, Jon Sparkes, Mencap Chief Executive, commented:

> “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, 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.
>  
> “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.”

Mencap has shared comments from donors including:

“I have always had family friends with learning disabilities but it was Alexander
from the traitors that inspired me to donate.”

“I support children with learning disabilities and was inspired by Alexander from
the traitors to donate”

“I’m the parent of a child with learning disabilities who will need care in the 
future and I worry about his future when I’m gone every day. I also was moved by
Alexander’s story on the traitors and wanted to donate to his cause even though 
he hadn’t won.”

“I am a SEN [Special Educational Needs] teacher so the work that Mencap do is invaluable
to the children I work with. In addition to this Alexander from the Traitors raising
awareness to this charity in particular inspired me to donate.”

 * **[Charity job advertisements can now be found on digital TV](https://fundraising.co.uk/2001/11/26/charity-job-advertisements-can-now-be-found-digital-tv/)**(
   26 November 2001)
 * **[Community Channel launches interactive TV donation service](https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/08/31/community-channel-launches-interactive-tv-donation-service/)**(
   31 August 2004)
 * **[Three charities to benefit from final series of Big Brother](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/06/07/three-charities-benefit-final-series-big-brother/)**(
   7 June 2010)
