Funches described forming an early bond with Donna Kelce after meeting her son, Travis Kelce, when he hosted Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity in 2024. He said he was impressed by Travis’s charm and kindness, and that Travis invited him to a Kansas City Chiefs game, which reinforced his view that Donna and her family were “good people.”
That mindset carried into the Scotland-based competition, where The Traitors was filmed. Funches explained that his respect for Donna came from knowing who raised Travis, and he vowed to treat Donna with respect, love, and joy—even after she was revealed as a secret Traitor in episode three.
Funches acknowledged he didn’t realize supporting a suspected Traitor could harm his standing. He was eliminated in episode six after other contestants believed he was colluding with Donna, a consequence he attributed to not understanding the game’s social rules.
Despite learning Donna was a Traitor, Funches says he continued to assist her during challenges, viewing her as a kind person who needed help in difficult rounds. He maintains there was no personal issue with supporting her, only a misinterpretation of the competition’s expectations.
Donna Kelce’s sons addressed the season on their New Heights podcast, with Jason praising her performance and Travis expressing pride in his mother for embracing the moment. They thanked Funches for his support, while noting he may have felt conflicted upon discovering Donna’s Traitor status and the effect it had on the game.
