Newry residents back local Traitor Rachel who they say is ‘playing a blinder’

Newry residents have backed their “strategic” local Traitor Rachel Duffy to the hilt, saying she is “playing a blinder”.

Rachel, from the city that straddles counties Down and Armagh, is one of the contestants on the BBC One Show The Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman.

On Thursday’s episode Rachel was turned on by fellow traitor Fiona, who told other contestants she believes the Newry woman is among the plotting group of murderers.

It comes after Rachel announced to the group that banished faithful Amanda had confided in her that she was a former police detective.

Fiona told Rachel: “I am really suspicious of you. I question why she would have told you.”

Newry woman Marie Walls said Rachel is a “very strategic” and “confident” player.

“I think she’s very assertive, and I also think she knows her own mind, but I do believe she’s under pressure from the secret traitor, Fiona,” she said.

“I think she’s definitely under pressure, because I think Fiona is one of these – she’s determined to win it, and I think she’ll win it at any cost.

“And I think Rachel will now have to put her thinking cap on and really work out her next strategy.

“But I have every confidence that she can do it, she will be able to do it.”

She added: “(Rachel) is very tuned into the game, and she knows how to play the game, and she’s done a lot of background work as well.”

Ms Walls’ niece Colleen Walls agreed that Rachel “needs to be careful of Fiona”.

She said: “I think (Fiona) is out for herself and Rachel needs to do her own thing.

“She’s playing a blinder, she really is.”

Irene Maginnis said Rachel “can talk her way out of everything”, and referenced an earlier episode where she attempted to implicate a faithful player by asking “was Hugo this dramatic in the turret?”, the turret being the place where the traitors meet.

“I didn’t know if she shot herself in the foot there saying about the turret. Because they were saying, ‘well, how does she know about a turret?,” she said.

“We do know about turrets, but it seems to me I thought she was putting her foot in it.”

She added: “I think maybe some might start getting suspicious of her.”

Twenty-three-year-old Grace Boyle said Rachel is “the type of person you’d be proud to say is from Newry because she’s so good”.

But, she added: “I can see there being a plot twist and her going out, because I think she’s going to get too confident in herself.

“But I think she could be the mum, kind of, and everyone sees her as like a mum, so I don’t think anyone kind of suspects her at the minute, which is good.”