Newry’s Rachel Sets the Record Straight on Her ‘FBI Training’

Newry woman Rachel has finally revealed the truth behind the “FBI training” that became one of the most talked-about moments in this year’s The Traitors.

Rachel made history last night when she won the fourth series of the BBC One hit show alongside fellow traitor Stephen, becoming part of the first ever duo of traitors to take the prize together. The pair walked away with £47,875 each after a gripping finale that had viewers on the edge of their seats.

Throughout the series, Rachel confidently told her fellow players that she had been trained by the FBI, using the claim as a strategic edge during tense roundtable discussions. In the final episode, she even persuaded finalist Faraaz to doubt another player by explaining how to spot “micro-expressions”, saying Jade would clench her jaw when she was lying.

Now, speaking on spin-off show Traitors: Uncloaked, Rachel has shared what that training really involved.

“I was very careful with my words,” she said. “I said I was trained by a former FBI agent. That’s correct, but it’s a really loose interpretation of it.

“The four-month online course was more like a one-day course and an e-book, but still by a former FBI agent. So it was tactical skills in negotiating with difficult people, and there were 21 very difficult people in that castle.”

Rachel summed it up perfectly: “It’s the art of distraction.”

Chosen as a traitor from the very beginning of the series, Rachel and Stephen formed a pact early on that they would never vote for each other. That alliance became the backbone of their game and ultimately carried them all the way to victory.

For viewers here, Rachel’s journey has been a particular point of pride. Clever, calm and quietly formidable, she showed that strategy, confidence and a little creative storytelling can go a very long way.