The latest series of The Traitors UK 2026 is underway, bringing a fresh wave of deception and drama to BBC screens. Among the new faces is Rachel Duffy, a 42-year-old from County Down in Northern Ireland, who has been secretly selected by host Claudia Winkleman as one of this season's Traitors.
Who Is Traitor Rachel Duffy?
Rachel enters the game as a self-confessed competitive games enthusiast, a trait that made her a prime pick for a Traitor. She has drawn comparisons to Monica from Friends due to her fiercely competitive nature. Her primary motivation for winning the potential £120,000 prize fund is to create lasting memories with her three children and her mother, who is living with dementia.
In her professional life, Rachel holds a significant role as a strategic Head of Communications in Northern Ireland. However, she has deliberately downplayed this to fellow contestants, telling them she simply works in marketing. This strategic omission is a key part of her game plan, as she doesn't want others to know that persuading people and conveying her point is a daily professional skill.
Family Life And Game Preparation
Rachel is married and has three children with her husband – two sons and a daughter. She has revealed that her practice in deception has become so effective that even her husband sometimes struggles to tell when she is being truthful. Ahead of the show, Rachel undertook extensive preparation, both physically and mentally.
Already an expert in the similar game Mafia, she went a step further by studying online classes from an ex-FBI agent. This training focused on reading micro-expressions, blink rates, and other subtle cues to better detect lies in others. She has vowed not to remain silent during the tense roundtable discussions but plans to keep her own reactions carefully controlled.
Strategy And Alliances In The Castle
As a Traitor, Rachel is working alongside fellow conspirators Stephen Libby and Hugo Lodge, though Hugo has already been discovered and banished from the game. She has formed a pact with Stephen, promising never to write his name down at a roundtable, aiming to foster loyalty between the hidden Traitors.
Rachel's approach is calculated and detached; she emphasises that she understands the difference between reality and a game and is prepared to do what it takes to win. With her professional communications expertise, psychological preparation, and a clear personal goal for the prize money, Rachel Duffy is positioned as a formidable and intriguing player in The Traitors 2026.
