The Traitors winner Rachel Duffy has opened up about how she coped with the loss of her beloved mother Anne, just days after winning half of the show's £47,000 prize pot. The mother-of-three, 43, shared during the series how the prize money would allow her to create lasting memories with her mother, who was tragically diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 47 and later developed dementia.
Following Rachel and Stephen Libby's victory, they were thrust into the public eye while she struggled through what she described as the 'most difficult moment of her life' after her mother's death, with everyone knowing her personal affairs. She said: 'The timing was tough. I had just won the show, then she passed away. I could not 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 how she remains strong by reminding herself how much her mother would love her daughter's new life in the spotlight. Speaking to OK! magazine, she revealed that her mother's diagnosis at age 47, just four years older than she is now, has changed her outlook on life. 'You can look after your body, which I do – I do not smoke, do drugs, I do not drink much, and I eat healthily and exercise. But you do not know what is coming round the corner. If you have a positive mindset, try to be healthy and enjoy life, that is all you can do.'
On The Traitors, Rachel had disclosed her plan to spend her prize money making memories with her mother, hoping to take her on holiday. Just days after the final, she announced the tragic loss on Instagram, writing: 'Thank you Mummy, thank you for loving us so much. Thank you for teaching us our worth.'
Meanwhile, the new series of Celebrity Traitors has reportedly seen bosses forced to double their £1 million budget to cater to the demands of A-list contestants. The line-up was officially announced with the first teaser trailer last week, featuring Maya Jama, Richard E Grant, Jerry Hall, Romesh Ranganathan, and Ross Kemp heading to the Scottish castle. The increased budget was evident as stars arrived via planes and private jets, unlike last year when many travelled by train. Alan Carr and Sir Stephen Fry were reportedly ferried in a minibus last year, now replaced by chauffeur-driven cars. Additional funds have been spent on beefing up security to protect the stars and keep the castle's activities under wraps until transmission later this year.
A source told The Sun: 'Although most of the stars are British, so many of them are used to working in America that their teams are used to the treatment. The production team have little choice, however, than to cater for their demands because they accept the number of A-listers taking part in this year's show makes it exceptional.' The Daily Mail has contacted the BBC for comment.
Maya Jama was pictured arriving at Inverness airport on Sunday afternoon, reportedly taking a huge pay cut to appear on series two of the BBC show. Hours earlier, Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh and EastEnders star Ross Kemp also touched down before heading to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Singer James Blunt followed a few hours later. Maya was reportedly the first star approached by Celebrity Traitors bosses to attract a younger audience due to her Love Island hosting duties. The 31-year-old was willing to take a £760,000 pay cut compared to her fee for hosting the ITV dating show, accepting the £40,000 rate after falling in love with the series while watching it with her boyfriend Rúben Dias. A source told The Sun: 'She loved watching the first Celebrity Traitors series at home with boyfriend Rúben and is so excited to get filming. She cannot wait to do some fibbing and be as deceitful as possible to try to win it. It has worked out perfectly that she can go straight from the Scottish castle to the villa in Majorca to film the summer Love Island series in June.'
