Comedian's Game Show Victory Brings Hope to Children's Cancer Charity
Comedian Alan Carr has been hailed as a hero after his emotional victory on Celebrity Traitors, with his £87,500 prize money being donated entirely to the children's cancer charity Neuroblastoma UK. The win has sparked a vital conversation about a rare form of childhood cancer that often goes unrecognised.
A Mother's Gratitude for Raising Awareness
Katy Yeandle, whose three-year-old son Joseph died on 27 December 2021 just eight months after being diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, has expressed her profound thanks to the comedian. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Yeandle revealed that before her son's diagnosis, her family had never heard of the disease.
"It was amazing because nobody knows about neuroblastoma cancer. When Joseph was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, we didn't know what it was," she said. "And now people are starting to talk about it because of Alan Carr, because of his amazing donation to the charity."
She directly addressed Carr, stating: "Thank you, thank you for raising that awareness because one thing that I found during this whole childhood cancer journey is that childhood cancer isn't talked about enough."
In response to their tragic loss, Katy Yeandle and her sister Emma Rees established the charity Joseph's Smile, which runs the Kids Get Cancer Too campaign. This initiative aims to unite families, charities, and supporters to increase funding and visibility for young cancer patients.
Transformational Impact for a Small Charity
The £87,500 donation is set to make a monumental difference for Neuroblastoma UK. Trustee Tori Oldridge, 49, admitted she was on the edge of her seat during the final, not expecting Carr to win.
"It was really exciting. Last night, we were on the edge of our seats. We were glued to the screen. We all felt the emotion he was feeling. He did so, so well," she said.
Emily Hood, the charity's Head of Fundraising and Communications, described the moment as "transformational" for the small organisation, which has a big mission to find better treatments and ultimately a cure for every child facing neuroblastoma.
Carr, who has been the charity's "faithful patron" for nine years, broke down in tears during the final episode when he revealed his true identity as a Traitor to fellow contestants Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga.
Reflecting on his emotional reaction, Carr later told the Uncloaked podcast: "The charity is so close to my heart that it all became a bit too much. Hopefully, when people see how upset I was, they won't feel so bad that I killed all those national treasures."
He emphasised the importance of the funds, adding: "Neuroblastoma is such a cruel disease, and this money will literally save lives. It's a charity and disease that no-one has really heard of so with the viewing figures being what they are, it's going to be so good for the charity."
Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that develops in early nerve cells and is most common in children under five. The charity, founded as The Neuroblastoma Society in 1982, has described Carr as "a passionate, dedicated ambassador" for their cause.
