A new season of The Traitors UK got underway on Thursday, a perfect New Year’s Day gift for fans of the Irish show.

Claudia Winkleman is back as host, with 22 contestants battling for a £120,000 prize.

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There is some massive Irish involvement in the show – but read on with caution, as spoilers for night one lie ahead.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

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Newry woman named among Traitors on BBC series

Newry woman Rachel Duffy is among the contenders on this year’s Traitors UK – and is set to play a pivotal role after being chosen as one of the traitors on night one.

Rachel, 42, is from County Down and works in strategic communications.

Claudia Winkleman chose Duffy as one of the three traitors on the first episode of the new series, along with Hugo and Stephen.

Rachel Duffy’s brother Darren is a former manager of Newry City A.F.C., leading the club for over a decade and delivering their first-ever major honour with the 2022 Northern Irish Championship.

He has recently taken the role of club president with Newry.

Darren Mullen tweeted on Monday evening, saying, “When your sister tells you she is going to England for a course for work and then you see this…”

Later in the evening, Mullen would share a brilliant clip of Rachel’s family reacting to her being selected as a traitor.

It’s fair to say Rachel being chosen as a Traitor went down well with her family and friends last night #TheTraitorsUK pic.twitter.com/v1M1IH5ipC

— darren mullen (@ncr72) January 2, 2026

This year’s Traitors UK includes a dramatic plot twist, with an extra fourth traitor whose identity is unknown both to the other traitors and to the audience.

The fourth traitor dons a different-coloured cloak, and is aware who the other three traitors are. Among their tasks is drawing up a “murder shortlist,” from which the traitors must choose their nightly victim.

 

Speaking ahead of the show’s first episode, Newry’s Rachel Duffy explained her determination to win, saying:

I will do anything to win. Nothing’s off the table.

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.

Irish viewers now have a big reason to tune into the UK version of The Traitors.

Episode 2 airs on BBC One on Friday evening at 8pm.

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