“It’s the People Around Me Who Made Me Who I Am”: Traitors Winner Vanessa on Immigration,
Vanessa Ogbonna opens up about her journey from direct provision, celebrating community, resilience, and hope in Ireland.
The morning after claiming victory in the dramatic finale of The Traitors Ireland, Vanessa Ogbonna joined her fellow winners Kellie Higgins and Oyin on RTÉ Radio 1. Joining Dermot Whelan standing in for Oliver Callan, she spoke with raw honesty about her journey from direct provision to national television, and the community that she says “made me the person that I am.”
The Waterford woman, who alongside Kellie and Oyin outwitted Traitors Nick and Ben in last night’s tense conclusion to the first season, said she felt it was important to use the platform to share a story often reduced to statistics.
“Obviously, the cultural and racial climate in Ireland right now is very heated,” she told Whelan. “I’m not going to go into the economic or social factors of direct provision, because honestly, I cannot speak on those.
What I did want to share is a story of overcoming.”Vanessa recalled her early years in direct provision, describing how the support of her local community in Tramore changed her life.
“My community came together and helped this little girl randomly, and that has changed my entire life. I would honestly be nothing without the people of Tramore especially Waterford F.C . I can’t share any spotlight without bringing the people who made me the person that I am.”
The Traitors penultimate episode provided one of the show’s most unexpected but moving moments, as contestants set aside the gameplay to speak about their personal lives. For Vanessa , that conversation was a way of bridging a gap she believes still exists in Irish society.
“There’s always a disconnect. People are aware of direct provision and know there are problems, but there’s an inability to relate. I can’t speak to policy, but what I can do is put a face and a story to it,” she said.
The 25-year-old was visibly emotional as she credited Irish people for their kindness and welcome since her arrival more than two decades ago, “For the last 23, 24 years, people in Ireland have been so amazing to me.”
Whealan praised her openness, noting that her words resonated beyond reality TV. “It’s a show that’s based on real emotion,” he said, “and what you shared definitely reached people.”