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Sunetra Sarker wins £55,700 for Sightsavers on Celebrity Catchphrase

January 2022
Roisin Conaty, Stephen Mulhern, Sunetra Sarker and Rickie Haywood-Williams smiling in the Catchphrase studio.
Sunetra (second from right) with host Stephen Mulhern and fellow celebs Roisin Conaty and Rickie Haywood-Williams. © ITV/STV

Actress, broadcaster and Sightsavers ambassador Sunetra Sarker has taken part in a celebrity edition of ITV game show Catchphrase, winning £55,700 for Sightsavers.

Sunetra, who has been a Sightsavers supporter for more than a decade, appeared on the show on Saturday 22 January, alongside comedian Roisin Conaty and radio presenter Rickie Haywood-Williams.

Contestants are challenged to solve tricky picture puzzles to win money for their chosen charity. Sunetra banked the most money and earned her chance to play in the Super Catchphrase, where host Stephen Mulhern encouraged her to unravel a series of brainteasers to win the star prize.

After solving a further five increasingly difficult puzzles, she won the £50,000 jackpot to add the money she’d already banked.

Sunetra said: “I’m a massive fan of Catchphrase: I watched it with my family when I was young, and the tradition has continued with my husband and children, so when they asked me it was a very quick yes.

“The studio was really nerve-wracking as it’s so much more real than watching on TV. The screen was huge and the pressure to press the buzzer even when I didn’t know what I was going to say was immense!

“It felt exhilarating to win – I still can’t believe it happened! I have never won so much money for charity before – it was really rewarding, and I hope this donation will make a difference.

“If one life or family is improved as a result, I will be over the moon. I appreciate my eyesight so very much and have felt drawn to work with Sightsavers any way I can.”

To see Sunetra’s victory, you can watch Catchphrase on the ITV Hub.

“It felt exhilarating to win – I still can’t believe it happened! It was really rewarding, and I hope this donation will make a difference.”

What could Sunetra’s £55,700 prize be used for?

A little girl is drinking from a cup. In the background people are watching.

Trachoma medication for 125,000 people

If left untreated, trachoma can cause the eyelashes to turn inwards so they scratch the eyeball, causing excruciating pain and eventual blindness. Since 1950, Sightsavers has treated or protected more than 175 million people against this cruel disease.

A young boy has his eyes checked for cataracts using an optical machine.

Life-changing cataract surgery for 600 children

In many poorer countries, where treatment may be less readily available, cataracts can cause blindness among babies and children. In about an hour, a surgeon can restore a child’s sight so they can continue their education and escape the cycle of poverty.

A photo of two hands. In one hand there are three tablets.

River blindness treatment for 1.4 million people

This horrific disease is spread when people are bitten by infected flies that spread parasitic larvae. It causes immense itching and can lead to sight loss. In 2020, Sightsavers helped to distribute more than 8 million treatments for river blindness.

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Every year, your donations could provide antibiotics to 192 people with trachoma.

Every year, your donations could pay for life-changing operations for two adults with cataracts.

Every year, your donations could protect 600 families with antibiotics from river blindness.

We're sorry, but the minimum donation we can take is €3
We're sorry, but we cannot process a donation of this size online. Please contact us on [email protected] for assistance donating over €10,000

Your donation could provide antibiotics to 111 people with trachoma.

Your donation could pay for two adults to have life-changing cataract surgery.

Your donation could protect 500 families from river blindness.

We're sorry, but the minimum donation we can take is €3
We're sorry, but we cannot process a donation of this size online. Please contact us on [email protected] for assistance donating over €10,000