A refugee charity set to receive a portion of the prize money from actor Sebastian Croft, winner of the BBC’s reality series The Celebrity Traitors, has drawn criticism for its stance on the conflict in Gaza. Choose Love, which will be awarded half of Croft’s £83,000 prize, has described the situation in Gaza as a “genocide” against Palestinians on its website.

Croft, 24, who shares the prize with comedian Romesh Ranganathan, highlighted his longtime involvement with Choose Love, describing it as an organisation supporting refugees and displaced persons, with a particular focus on queer refugees. The series finale aired on Friday and has contributed to increased ratings for the BBC, an organisation governed by impartiality guidelines as outlined in its charter.

Choose Love has previously engaged in advocacy related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Last year, the charity, joined by public figures including former footballer Gary Lineker, signed an open letter urging the UK government to halt arms sales to Israel and to “end Gaza complicity.” The charity has also provided financial support in legal challenges opposing British immigration policies. It funded part of the staff costs for Asylum Aid, which mounted a High Court challenge against the UK government’s policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda. This challenge was ultimately unsuccessful, with the court ruling the government’s policy lawful.

The involvement of Choose Love in these politically sensitive issues has sparked controversy among some UK politicians. Conservative MP Jack Rankin criticized the charity’s activities, arguing that its humanitarian status is exploited to advance a “political” agenda. He expressed concern that public funds, including the BBC licence fee, might indirectly support causes that do not align with the national interest. Rankin called on the BBC to uphold its impartiality by refraining from distributing money to organisations he characterized as politically motivated.

Supporters of Choose Love maintain that its mission is focused on assisting refugees and displaced individuals, including vulnerable groups such as LGBTQ+ people, and that its advocacy efforts are part of broader human rights work. The BBC has not commented on the selection of charities associated with The Celebrity Traitors prize distribution.