Conkers, Classical Music, and Celebrity fans: 7 things we learnt about Alexander Dragonetti

Alexander Dragonetti — or as he’s better known, The People’s Princess — rose to fame through the most recent series of hit TV show The Traitors, and despite not walking away as the winner, his earnest and thoughtful sportsmanship as well as one or several memorable (if meme-able) moments meant he walked away with the nation’s hearts.

Since then, he’s had a slot on Classic FM, raised incredible amounts of money for Mencap, and helped guide the nation through what’s actually going on in UK and worldwide politics through Politoks — his bitesize videos on TikTok which do more for our knowledge on current affairs than any PSHE lesson ever did.

Between all of his charity and culture work (and whilst still doing a normal, if stressful, 9-5), Alexander popped down our favourite Notting Hill pub The Mall Tavern to chat about everything from performing at the Proms to almost getting mugged by one of his students whilst working as a secondary school teacher, and the legacy of his brother.

Here are 7 things to know...

1. He’s worked in more countries than most of us have ever even visited

There is something undeniably alluring about the idea of a diplomat; the mysterious international status, numerous countries (all those passport stamps…), knowing multiple languages, and holding political status without being an actual politician. Not to mention the likely ability to be a light packer — it’s a very appealing package all in all. So it’s not entirely surprising that when Alexander was on The Traitors and the given logline was ‘Former British Diplomat’, it caught the nation’s attention.

So when he popped down for a pint with us (you may have noticed our rather formal approach to interviews), we had to know about his favourite countries.

“I lived out in the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan — one of the best things about that is you live there but then you can travel around the region.

"Some countries I love, like Oman,” Alexander shared, “I worked out there for several years — it’s just so beautiful out there; it has the original rolling sand dunes from all the old desert movies, and the Grand Canyon of Arabia is incredible. I really like Japan too — it’s quite unusual but beautiful. I love the north of Pakistan, the Pamir Knot where the Hindu Kush and Himalayas meet is so cool.

“Iceland is on my bucket list, I’d love to do a couple of weeks round there. I feel like for a romantic trip I’d recommend Sardinia — I did a trip round there and loved it. The US as well has lots of different countries in one so it’s great to do a road trip with friends”

Basically, if BBC, ITV, or any streaming services were thinking of doing a new travel series and were looking for a host, boy have we got a pitch for you…

2. He submitted his Traitors's application an hour before the deadline

It was actually a friend of his who sent the application to The Traitors Alexander’s way. After finishing up work abroad and feeling a little directionless back in the UK, a friend sent the opportunity his way, encouraging him to apply. And you thought your friends were supportive…

And whilst you'd think Alexander would be the archetypal early-homework-finishing model-student, it turns out he left his Traitors application almost to he last minute...

“I submitted it the night of the deadline,” Alexander confessed. “I hadn’t even watched any episodes yet — I’d heard of it but not seen it,” he added.

“When the producers rang me back a couple of days later and said “We’re really interested in your application, have you seen the show? I had to admit I hadn’t,” he laughed.

They told him that he may want to familiarise himself with it, and being a model student, he caught up before the next stage. Just as well, really — we can’t imagine how series three would have been without him.

3. He has a couple of favourite London spots — but nothing beats a disused tube station

“I’m pretty much a London local,” Alexander confirmed. “I’ve lived here since uni, but obviously travelled a lot and been in and out of the country for work.

“Visiting disused London tube stops — that’s my thing, recently. I really enjoyed going to Charing Cross. I got to take a tube train into a tunnel, and back out and off the old escalator. It was called ‘The Underpass’ and it sounded really good.”

Aside from disused London tube stations his ideal London day involves a lot of the classics:

“I think some kind of market is always lovely, especially if you’re up early. I imagine London at sunrise is beautiful,” he said. “I’ve never actually done it,” he added, laughing: “I think the only time I’m up early is when I’m getting one of those crack of dawn flights, but as I’m going through the city I think, it’s really peaceful, I should do this more often.

“Then probably a brunch at somewhere like Borough Market. A Hidden London spot is always fun. I went to see Hadestown recently and that was great so maybe catching a show.”

Perhaps one of the reasons we immediately got on during the interview was a sense of meeting a kindred spirit. Or in other words, he’s a pub man.

“The Lamb and Flag in Leicester Square — an old pub with layers. When I was 18, 19 I came to London and saw Waxy O’ Connor’s and was completely taken in, and thought it was completely real.”

4. Despite being a British Diplomat, he only speaks one language (and a half)

“To be a British Diplomat, you don’t actually have to speak any languages,” Alexander revealed — much to our shock.

“Some jobs it’s a requirement of the posting, but for most of them they’ll train you to speak it before you go, and you’ll always learn a bit - enough to get you around, but you don’t actually generally need to know any other languages.”

You can probably guess the other (half) language he speaks from his name, but he can speak Italian — even if he claims it doesn’t count because he’s not fully fluent. The obvious test: can he watch a film in that language without subtitles (or with subtitles in that language only)?

“Yes,” Alexander agreed, “I definitely could.” So, that settles that. And yes, he can cook, we checked. Italian credentials officially certified.

5. Before becoming a diplomat, he worked as a teacher

If anything was going to prepare you for having to be diplomatic 24/7, working as a secondary school teacher and having to settle hundreds of disputes a day feels like a pretty good place to start.

“I worked as a teacher in a pretty tough secondary school — we’re talking metal detectors, kids bringing knives sort of tough,” Alexander revealed.

And if you’re wondering which subject he taught, he taught seven. Much like most things it seems, the whole teaching seven subjects sort of happened accidentally — he just kept on picking up classes as other teachers quit.

“A student tried to mug me once,” said Alexander. “It was after school and he came towards me and said: 'You know what we do to teachers,' and I went 'Thank them for giving you opportunities and learning?' And he went 'No, I’ve got a knife.'

"I definitely wouldn’t have been as bolshy now as I was then, but I went 'are you sure I’m the right person for this? I know your name, I know your form, I know your parents, I know your address... I lied about the last one'.”

Safe to say, it did the trick, and he escaped unharmed. Perhaps that’s when he knew he was destined for a career in diplomacy?

6. He is actually an under-18 Conkers Champion (runner up)

Look, sometimes in an interview you’re not quite sure how you end up on certain topics, but you’re very happy with how you end up there nonetheless.

This is pretty much what happened when we found out that Alexander came third in the World Conker Championships (in the under 18 category).

“I just walked past the competition and entered,” he recalled, laughing. “It’s a common misconception that you have to bring your own conker. You have to pick one out of a bag — to keep it equal I think.

"But that means you are at the mercy of the one [conker] you pick. It’s one of those sliding doors moments — maybe I could have gone pro."

7. Growing up, he didn’t have a dream job, his only job in his eyes (when he was younger) was to protect his brother

Whilst his fellow Traitors' finalists all had noble and beautiful reasons to want the prize money — everything from giving back to their parents to being able to go for another round of IVF — Alexander's selfless desire to give it all to Mencap, a charity supporting those living with special needs, caught the nation's hearts.

Although he didn't win, his explanation on camera of how the charity had helped his own brother before he passed saw the charity receive more donations than the prize money pot would have been. His fundraising for Mencap hasn't stopped there, with Alexander set to take part in the Great North Run to fundraise further.

He explained how the legacy of his brother has shaped his life — and more specifically with his career. "I don’t think I really ever had a dream job as a kid," Alexander explained when we asked what his dream job would be had be not become a diplomat.

"I grew up with a special needs brother, and I never really got very far past that. I thought that my job was to protect my brother — I was aware that my parents would get old I would become responsible for him and that was my thing.

"So whatever I did when I got older, I had to become strong enough to make sure that I could make his life easy. So I think everything I did like teaching in a rough school, or working in the Middle East, I picked hard things to make myself invincible to make sure I could be there for him. When he died, that obviously confused things for me but I didn’t really think so much about what I wanted to do, but about what would test me and make me stronger so I could protect him."

You can find out more about Alexander's work with Mencap via their website.

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