The Traitors winner Rachel Duffy has revealed she was rushed to hospital following a horror accident. The BBC star, 42, was forced to undergo surgery on her right hand after cutting it on the blade of a kitchen blender two weeks ago. The reality star "severed her dorsal nerve and partially lacerated her tendon", leaving her with her arm in a cast for 10 weeks.
Accident and surgery
Warning squeamish fans to look away, Rachel shared photos of her bruised hand and stitches, which she likened to a "Harry Potter scar". Opening up about the incident, Rachel said: "There's always one friend in every group that's accident prone, that would be me. Two weeks ago I had an accident with a blender blade which resulted in a trip to A&E."
She continued: "Yes I'm in flip flops and jammie bottoms as I ran out the door with a blood soaked tea towel wrapped around my hand." Rachel had an X-ray on her hand and stitches, but was forced to visit A&E again after experiencing "severe pain and numbness" in her thumb.
Recovery and lessons learned
She added: "Did a number on myself and completely severed my dorsal nerve and partially lacerated my tendon. Rachel underwent surgery to repair both injuries, before showcasing the scar on her thumb. "I nearly passed out seeing this," she admitted. The final image showcased Rachel's bandaged up arm alongside the caption: "Cast is wrapped up safely for now but will be on for the next 10 weeks.
"Now accepting applications for temp chauffeurs. Life lesson – read the instructions on new kitchen equipment!" Rachel captioned the post: "Oopsie daisy. Everydays a school day!!! The lesson learned in this little bump in the road…..take the time to read the instructions on a new kitchen blender.
"A big thank you to the medical staff who looked after me over the past couple of weeks. You are absolute angels. Thank goodness I'm a leftie."
Rise to fame and personal tragedy
Rachel shot to fame earlier this year when she scooped the £47k prize pot on The Traitors alongside her co-star Stephen Libby. But Rachel's victory was overshadowed by tragedy following the death of her mother, who passed away just days after the The Traitors finale aired. Rachel struggled with her newfound fame, describing it as the "most difficult moment of her life" after her mother's death as everyone wanted to know about her private life.
She admitted: "The timing was tough. I'd just won the show, then she passed away. I couldn't even celebrate with her."I felt like the whole world knew my business, and that was hard because at the same time I was trying to navigate one of the most difficult moments of my life. But the support was phenomenal."
Rachel explained that her mother's Parkinson's diagnosis, which she received at the age of 47, changed her outlook on life. She told OK!: "You can look after your body, which I do – I don't smoke, do drugs, I don't drink much, and I eat healthily and exercise. But you don't know what's coming round the corner. If you have a positive mindset, try to be healthy and enjoy life, that's all you can do."
