Traitors Champion Rachel Duffy Comes Clean About Exaggerated FBI Training Claims
Rachel Duffy, who made history as the first female Traitor to win the BBC's psychological reality competition The Traitors, has publicly admitted that her much-discussed claim of extensive FBI training was an "obvious lie". During her time on the show, Duffy repeatedly told fellow contestants she had undergone months of specialised training with a former FBI agent, which she said helped her detect microexpressions and identify deception.
The Reality Behind the Deception Training Claim
In a revealing interview with The Mirror, Duffy confessed the truth behind her compelling backstory. "I did one of [the FBI agent's] training courses, but I did... I obviously lied," she admitted candidly. "And so I had said it was a four-month online course... but it was more of like a one-day course on an e-book."
Despite the exaggeration, Duffy maintains the training provided genuine value during her Traitors journey. "But it did help because it gave me something in my back pocket," she explained, referring to the psychological advantage her claim provided during tense roundtable discussions and strategic gameplay.
Strategic Deception and Historic Victory
Duffy's FBI training narrative became particularly significant when she used it to justify her certainty about fellow contestant Fiona being a Traitor. This claim helped establish her credibility among the Faithfuls while she secretly operated as one of the original murderous trio.
The 34-year-old contestant, alongside fellow Traitor Stephen, ultimately made history by becoming the first Traitor pair to win together, splitting the £95,000 prize pot between them. Their victory broke the pattern of previous seasons, which had been won either by groups of Faithfuls or a single male Traitor.
The Winning Strategy and Family Reactions
The duo's success largely stemmed from a strategic pact formed early in the competition. After turning against their fellow Traitor Hugo, Duffy and Stephen agreed not to betray each other - a commitment that held firm through the tense final episodes.
In the dramatic finale, both contestants experienced moments of uncertainty, with Duffy even appearing to agree with Faithful Faraaz about voting Stephen out. However, when the decisive roundtable arrived, they united to eliminate Faraaz instead, then collaborated to remove Jack, leaving themselves as the final two contestants.
Duffy's family watched her victory with immense pride, though her husband had been the only family member aware of her Traitor status throughout the competition. "My little kids watched last night with the family and they just couldn't get over it," she shared, describing their excitement at her televised triumph.
Future Plans Beyond Reality Television
While Duffy has no immediate plans to return to reality television, she revealed exciting creative ambitions. "I think my focus now is on the kids and potentially bringing my book to life," she disclosed. "So I've written a book, taken 10 years to write it... it's about murder and lies... a contemporary fantasy novel for young adults all about Irish redheads in a magical forest."
Her literary project represents a natural progression from the deception and strategy that characterised her Traitors experience, transforming her understanding of narrative and character into a creative endeavour far removed from the reality television spotlight.
