Maya Jama has been praised after donating £83,500 to her chosen charity following her dramatic exit from the BBC reality competition, The Celebrity Traitors.

The Love Island presenter, 32, revealed on Saturday, 31 October, that she had donated the money to Action for Children, despite missing out on the chance to win the show's prize pot.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Maya shared the news with her followers, writing:

"Just donated what I would have won for my chosen charity @ActnForChildren.

"Amazing cause."

The charity subsequently confirmed that it had received the donation, with its director of fundraising, Katherine Woods, expressing her gratitude for the presenter's generosity.

The donation has attracted attention because Maya had come close to reaching the end of the competition, only to be banished during the final after her fellow contestants became suspicious of her role as a Traitor.

Rather than walking away empty-handed in terms of her charity's fundraising, the presenter has ensured that Action for Children will still benefit from her time on the programme.

Although Maya did not win the competition, she decided to donate £83,500 to Action for Children, the charity she had selected to support before entering the show.

The organisation works with vulnerable children and families across the UK, providing support to those experiencing difficulties including poverty, abuse and challenges surrounding foster care.

Its work aims to help children have safe and happy childhoods while ensuring families can access practical and emotional assistance when they need it most.

Katherine Woods, the charity's director of fundraising, welcomed the contribution and highlighted the difference donations can make to children and families facing difficult circumstances.

She said:

"We're absolutely thrilled to receive such a generous donation from Maya Jama.

"She certainly held her nerve until the very end and proved herself to be the star of the show."

Woods also highlighted the significance of the donation in light of the number of children experiencing financial hardship in the UK.

"With four million children in the UK currently living in poverty, Maya's own experiences of food insecurity growing up make this incredibly generous support even more meaningful.

"Every day, our frontline workers see the impact of families struggling to make ends meet, from parents fleeing domestic abuse to those facing impossible choices about how to provide for their children as the cost-of-living crisis continues to rise.

"Generous donations like Maya's mean we can be there for families when they need us most, providing practical and emotional support so children across the UK can have the safe and happy childhood they deserve.

"Thank you, Maya."

The charity's response also drew attention to Maya's own experiences of food insecurity while growing up, making her decision to support an organisation working with vulnerable children and families particularly meaningful.

Maya's donation comes after she narrowly missed out on winning the second series of The Celebrity Traitors, which concluded on Friday, 30 October.

The presenter had been playing as a Traitor throughout the competition and managed to remain in the game until the final episode, becoming the last of the original Traitors to be eliminated. However, her run came to an end during the final roundtable when fellow Traitor King Kenny voted against her, helping secure her banishment.

Maya had been working alongside Kenny, whose real name is Kenny Ojuederie, as the pair attempted to deceive the Faithful contestants and make it to the end of the competition without being discovered.

Their partnership ultimately fell apart as suspicion grew among the remaining players.

Following Maya's departure, the remaining contestants continued playing, with the group eventually turning against Kenny as well.

The final concluded with actor Sebastian Croft and comedian Romesh Ranganathan emerging as the winners after successfully identifying the remaining Traitors.

The pair shared the £83,000 prize pot, with each receiving £41,500 to donate to their respective charities.

Sebastian chose Choose Love, an organisation that supports refugees and displaced people, while Romesh selected the Refugee Council, which works with people seeking safety in the UK.

Although Maya and Kenny were unable to secure the prize money for their chosen causes through the competition itself, Maya's personal donation means her charity will still receive substantial support.

Maya's decision to donate the money has added another talking point to the show's dramatic conclusion, with her actions demonstrating that missing out on the competition's prize did not mean abandoning the charitable cause she had chosen to support.

Her donation also comes as Action for Children continues its work supporting children and families dealing with financial hardship, abuse and other difficult circumstances.

For the charity, the contribution provides additional support for its work with vulnerable young people, while also bringing attention to the challenges faced by families across the country.

The presenter has not only followed through on her commitment to support Action for Children, but has also ensured that her participation in the programme can still have a positive impact beyond the entertainment provided to viewers.

While Maya's time in the castle ended just before the final victory, her decision to donate £83,500 means her chosen charity has still received a significant contribution, even without her taking home the show's prize.