Wild party antics of Traitor Rachel: Ahead of Friday’s final, we reveal bizarre toilet stunt, why shocked friends told her to ‘behave herself’, her Parkinson’s-stricken mum’s advice and more

Her scheming and cutthroat actions have caused a rift in the game, as she eliminates other players in her pursuit of the grand prize on The Traitors.

Some viewers have criticized Rachel Duffy as arrogant, but others believe she’s one of the greatest players in the show’s history.

Away from her appearances on BBC shows, Rachel – a mom of three from Newry, Northern Ireland – loves to have a good time. She enjoys parties, singing karaoke, and dressing up with glitter.

A friend of the 43-year-old communications director described her to The Mail on Sunday as a very outgoing and friendly person who always enjoys herself and connects with others.

‘She is not afraid of being the centre of attention. She loves the craic and a giggle.

She really loves to go out for drinks and sing karaoke. She believes in making the most of life and having fun, and she’s happiest when there’s a party going on.

Instead of making a wish and blowing out the candles on her 40th birthday cake, she playfully dove headfirst into it for a bite, while her husband, Seamus, who is a lawyer, watched with amusement.

A voice in Rachel’s Instagram video says, ‘Rachel, behave yourself,’ suggesting the speaker anticipated her actions.

Her friends mention she loves taking trips with her girlfriends, and she posted a photo on Instagram from a Paris vacation wearing white, heart-shaped sunglasses.

She was a vibrant and popular figure at Marbella’s famous Ocean Beach club, often seen enjoying champagne with her friends.

In another photo, she’s pictured having fun at a tea party, playfully posing with a teapot balanced on her head. She then went on to attend a gin-themed party.

She maintains that same approachable demeanor at work gatherings. As the head of marketing and communications for Clanrye Group, she organizes international youth programs and oversees services that support families in the community.

She celebrated winning an award at the 2022 Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards in a playful way: by doing a handstand in the ladies’ restroom! She shared a picture of the moment online, joking that while she loves award ceremonies, she struggles to stay seated when asked for creative social media posts, and hinted she might try to be on her best behavior this year.

It felt fitting that Rachel watched the first episode of The Traitors with her loved ones, as that’s when they found out Claudia Winkleman had selected her to be a traitor on the show.

Her cheerful and optimistic personality is why she’s made so many friends within the community.

Despite attempts by Fiona Hughes, 62, and Harriet Tyce, 53, to learn her strategy, Rachel seems unstoppable. She’s a strong contender to win the finale this Friday and appears determined to succeed.

She’s been very open about wanting to win the large cash prize. In fact, she’s so focused on succeeding that she shared she underwent four months of training with the FBI before the show even started.

She explained to the other contestants that understanding subtle facial expressions and recognizing when people aren’t telling the truth was a key part of the advice she’d received.

Her determination to win comes from a deeply personal place. She shared on Friday’s show that she’s motivated by her mother, Anne, who is 70 and bravely battling both dementia and Parkinson’s disease, which she was diagnosed with in her forties.

A heartbreaking photo shows Anne holding a T-shirt that reads, ‘My daughter’s a traitor.’

Rachel shared that her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at just 47 – the same age Rachel is now, plus four years. Her mother is now also facing dementia, but continues to inspire her and the whole family with her strength every day.

She explained that if she won the prize money, she’d spend it on Anne. Rachel also said she simply wants to make lasting memories with Anne while she’s still able to, and with her children, who adore their nanny.

Rachel’s father, Raymond Mullen, passed away in 2016 at the age of 67. She remembers him fondly and her Facebook profile picture shows him walking her down the aisle at her wedding.

They were very close, and she was heartbroken when he passed away. She has four siblings: an older brother named Darren Mullen, who managed the Newry City football club, and two other brothers, Neil and Shane, as well as a sister named Joanne.

People who know the Mullen family describe them as vibrant and memorable. A friend of the family shared that they are well-known figures in the Newry area.

When Darren managed the football club, he and his entire family were very involved in city life.

The group is very tight-knit and always there for each other, so it’s no surprise they chose a local spot to witness Rachel’s betrayal.

This is a huge moment for everyone involved. She has the full support of the city, and it’s amazing she managed to keep that support under wraps for so long.

She told people she was going to England for work, but she was actually in Scotland filming the show The Traitors.

Rachel is nearing the end of her time on the show, which finished filming last summer at Ardross Castle near Inverness. Sources say her final episodes will be full of drama.

Although many people expect her to win, observant fans have noticed hints that Faithful Jack Butler could actually be the one to win.

On last Friday’s show, the 29-year-old contestant shared his plans for the prize money: he wants to use it for a down payment on a house and then propose to his girlfriend.

Jack proposed to his partner in Santorini in July, shortly after filming wrapped. He shared photos of the proposal on social media.

If he were to win, he’d have to deal with Rachel, and she’s someone you don’t want to cross. People in her community will tell you that much.

A meme circulating in Newry community groups backing Rachel reads, ‘If you target a woman from Newry, you’d better be right.’

Okay, so The Traitors finale is almost here, and honestly, I’m stressing! The Faithful players just cannot seem to figure out this one Traitor – she’s so good at acting innocent, and she’s just… having way too much fun getting away with everything! It’s infuriating, but also, I kind of admire her chaotic energy? They need to get it together, but she’s a master manipulator, I swear!

That’s surely something Anne would be pleased to hear. Rachel shares that her mother’s consistent advice has always been simple: ‘Don’t get caught.’

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2026-01-18 15:21