Rachel and Matthew talking at breakfast in season 4 of The Traitors

Before heading to Ardross Castle, Rachel Duffy had a specific game plan in mind and undertook specialist training for The Traitors

Rachel Duffy could pull off the ultimate deception. Following her arrival at Ardross Castle, the mum-of-three has fooled the Faithfuls time and time again in season four of The Traitors. In with a chance of bagging the £100,000 prize, Rachel, who quietly kept her cover while two of her biggest accusers – Fiona and Harriet – were booted from the game, recently revealed her surprising background, which puts her at a major advantage. Here’s what she got up to before heading to the Scottish Highlands…

Rachel Duffy sitting in a chair in a white top and pink tulle skirt© BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry
Rachel Duffy was appointed a Traitor in season four of the hit series

Rachel Duffy’s top secret training

During episode seven, Rachel found herself on a knife-edge after Harriet declared that she was the ultimate Traitor during the round table. Hitting back, Rachel proclaimed that Harriet’s argument was based on her thoughts and not concrete evidence, before making a major confession. “I came here, and I wanted to be a Traitor. I wasn’t selected to be a Traitor, but I needed a plan B in my pocket to help me win as a Faithful,” Rachel told her fellow contestants.

woman at home
Rachel took part in online courses with an ex-FBI agent before heading to Ardross Castle in Scotland

“So, for the last few months, I have been trained by a former FBI agent in the beauty of micro-expressions and people’s ability to lie. And I have profiled every single one of you. I know what to look out for, and if that makes me a bad Faithful or distrustful, I am really sorry, but I am trying my hardest to come in here and to play a good game.”

While Rachel refrained from sharing further details of her FBI training, it’s clear that she entered the game with a pre-planned strategy and some tricks up her sleeve. “I will do anything to win. Nothing’s off the table,” she previously explained to the BBC. “I’m very good at knowing the difference between reality and a game. I’m really competitive in challenges, so I’ll do whatever I can to get money in the bank.”

Rachel’s career

Rachel hasn’t been totally honest about her day job. Speaking with the BBC, the 48-year-old noted that while she technically works in strategic communications – which involves crafting compelling narratives – she wouldn’t let the Faithfuls know that.

Matthew, Rachel & Stephen on The Traitors© BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry
The TV star works in strategic communications

“I’m going to say that I work in Marketing, which is true, but it’s leaving out the fact that I do strategic communications across Northern Ireland on a daily basis,” Rachel said. “I don’t want them to know that speaking to people and getting my point across is very easy for me. I suppose the overriding game plan is to just have fun and be super fun and super positive and be lovely to be around, which is going to hopefully get me a little bit further in the game.”