Ever since the first season of The Traitors aired in November 2022, its popularity has been dramatically on the rise. With an average 7.4 million viewers tuning in to the most recent final, The Traitors has made its way into British television history, surpassing the viewing figures for classics such as I’m a Celeb and The Great British Bake Off. Among those in the most recent season’s cast was Alexander Dragonetti (G 03), entering the castle after a thrilling mission from which Alexander was one of only two people to be rescued. A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to speak to this Old Oundelian about his time at the School, on the show, and about his connection with Mencap.
For any readers who are yet to watch the show, The Traitors is a game full of deceit, murder and betrayal, where twenty contestants try to vote out any potential traitors and come the final, have them all banished. We started the interview asking Alexander about his experience on the programme and he described how fortunate he was to have been involved in “so many different stories.” These included taking part in various games and missions, one of which involved him being locked in a cage, suspended from a tree. In spite of being banished so close to the end of the series, he was ultimately pleased with the game’s result and said that he “wouldn’t change anything about [his] journey.”
This was swiftly followed by an insightful conversation about Alexander’s time at Oundle and the impact it had on his career direction. One thing that he noted about the School was how it “cares about the people and the community.” Alexander reflected warmly on the friendships he made during his days here and emphasised how he remains in regular contact with many of his former peers. He seemed to particularly enjoy the time he spent abroad with the school, taking part in trips to Budapest, Moscow and Paris. These helped inspire his love of learning, leading to his progression to Oxford to study History; he described university as a “fundamentally fun thing to do” where one is granted a rare opportunity to be surrounded by “lots of people who share similar ideas.”
Alexander decided that he wanted to use his education to help make a difference in the world. This began in North London where he spent six weeks training to become a teacher before spending the following years working in a school hoping to “address educational disadvantage.” He then took his skills to the global stage, taking a role in the Foreign Office. Despite being stationed in many different countries, he made note of his time in the Middle East, stating that it “grabbed [his] heart.”
Outside of his work, Alexander is a dedicated activist, having recently joined Mencap as an official supporter. He holds this charity, which he volunteered with for five years when he was at Oundle, particularly close to his heart. He commented that there was “something fundamentally powerful about helping others” and that the weeks he spent at the annual summer camps were “so joyful.” His personal connection with the charity was strengthened further by his brother’s attendance as a holiday maker during his time volunteering.
The Oundle Mencap Holidays have now been running for thirty-five years with many members of Oundle Sixth Form joining the camp as ‘helpers’ each summer. Alexander stated that he “could not recommend it highly enough” and that it taught him “social skills, teamwork and camaraderie.” His work with the charity is growing ever stronger with his recent announcement that he has officially joined the Mencap family. With special needs being a topic he “cares very, very deeply about,” we cannot wait to see how his role continues to progress in the future.
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