Forever Faithful: Christine Duff on The Traitors, the Carrigaline community and her MS diagnosis

By Tara Maher

This September, probably for the first time since Love/Hate’s dramatic finale, families across Ireland gathered together in the sitting room on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights to watch Ireland’s version of The Traitors. At the heart of that was Christine Duff. 

When Christine moved to Carrigaline twelve years ago, she had no idea how deeply rooted she would become in the community. “I love it down here,” she says warmly. “We’re near the beach, the woods, and there are so many lovely walkways. My kids are really settled and happy. It just feels like home.”

Since arriving, she’s become a familiar face in local circles, from coffee shops to charity events. Her participation in Dancing with the Stars for the Lions Club remains one of her fondest memories. Christine even won one of the nights!. “It was such a fun experience, but I can confirm I won’t be doing the RTE version anytime soon!” she laughs.

Christine Duff

Carrigaline is a town that inspires Christine. She speaks fondly of its people and amenities but gives an honourable mention to the strong and creative entrepreneurial women that she has met in her years living locally. “There’s Kasha from Stitch and Design, Elaine from Panama and Pearl, and Alison from Best Kept Secret for dress rentals. I’ve really built lovely connections with people here.”

When Christine was announced as a participant on The Traitors, she already had a strong Cork following on her Instagram, which she started posting on during the pandemic when she completed a diploma in neuroscience and life coaching. ‘“Originally, I wanted to use Instagram to share coaching content,” she explains. “But it became so saturated that I decided to step away from that and just be me.”

That decision transformed everything. By sharing snippets of everyday life, such as her kids, her outfits, and her love for Feng Shui, Christine found that followers connected more deeply. “People found me relatable. Instead of talking about brain science, I started showing my real life, and that’s what made people feel closer.”

She laughs at her ongoing battle with TikTok “I still can’t figure it out!”, but Instagram remains her happy place. “When we find someone we relate to, even online, it gives us hope. It makes us feel seen.”  

Christine was sent the application to apply for The Traitors Ireland by her friends but kept that she followed through on the application a tight lipped secret. “In total there were about four or five interviews over a period of eight months” she reveals, and that it was Valentines Day 2025 when she found out she had made it to filming, and that it would take place in March. 

Keeping the secret wasn’t difficult for her. “With a background in beauty therapy, confidentiality is everything she says. “Only my kids knew and they loved being part of the secret.” To explain her sudden absence from social media, she even created a clever cover story telling people she was on a retreat in Portugal. “The irony is I could never sit still that long!” she laughs.

The show itself, she says, was far more rewarding than she expected. “As a busy mum, it was such a treat to have meals cooked for me and time to think. I loved meeting new people and figuring out personalities.”

Christine’s elimination from the show has gone down in Irish TV history. One X user categorised her funeral episode alongside the wedding scene in Love/Hate and when the man slipped on RTÉ news. Though her time on the show ended dramatically, Christine looks back proudly, that her authenticity shone through on screen. She couldn’t stay too disappointed at her premature ending on the show, as it earned her a spot in Ireland's most iconic talk show “The Late Late Show”, which she describes as “a surreal full-circle moment for any 90s kid.”

In one of the episodes, Christine revealed she was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis after experiencing tingling and numbness in her hands. “It was frustrating at first,” she admits. “Because I was young, doctors were dismissive. But it taught me that your health should never be brushed aside.

Now, with the support of an excellent medical team, she receives treatment twice a year and focuses on maintaining a happy, low-stress lifestyle. “I genuinely believe stress plays a role. When I’m calm and content, my health improves,” she told The Carrigdhoun.

Her condition has also inspired her to give back and has organised fundraising events in the name of MS Ireland. Her recent Afternoon Tea event that combined wellness, creativity, and connection. Her appearance on The Traitors Ireland highlighted that she is not defined by her illness, and it doesn’t hold her back. “I want people to know that you can still live a full, joyful life.”