Television presenter and entrepreneur Maya Jama has won widespread praise from viewers after matching the prize amount she would have won on Celebrity Traitors with a personal donation to her chosen charity, Action for Children.
Ms Jama, 32, reached Friday night’s grand finale of the BBC reality competition as a traitor, coming close to claiming the entire prize fund. However, she was banished by her fellow contestants at the final roundtable without revealing her true identity, leaving content creator King Kenny as the last remaining traitor.
King Kenny appeared poised to secure the entire prize pot for his charity before he was uncovered by actor Sebastian Croft, who successfully persuaded comedian Romesh Ranganathan to vote him out at the eleventh hour. The dramatic finale concluded with a victory for the faithful contestants, as Mr Ranganathan and Mr Croft shared the game’s £83,000 prize pool between their respective causes. Mr Croft directed his share to the refugee charity Choose Love, while Mr Ranganathan allocated his portion to the Refugee Council.
Following the broadcast, Ms Jama took to social media on Saturday to announce that she would independently match the sum she would have received had she survived until the end of the game, directing the funds to Action for Children, an organization dedicated to ensuring safe and supportive childhoods. Writing on X, she shared that she had “just donated what I would have won for my chosen charity @actnforchildren,” accompanied by heart emojis.
Fans quickly flooded social media with praise, labeling the 32-year-old a “true winner” and a “superstar” for her generosity. Supporters commended her gracious demeanor throughout the series and her choice of organization, with admirers calling the gesture “class throughout and after” and applauding her gameplay.
The high-profile television series has proved a major ratings success for the BBC, drawing peak audiences of 15 million viewers. Following the conclusion of the celebrity edition, the network confirmed that the civilian version of the program will return for its fifth series in January 2027.
