Photography: Robert Trathen
You might think that winning $75,000 in the epic finale of The Traitors NZ would’ve been the biggest prize Chloe Withrington could have pocketed. But while she’s thrilled about that cash, she says the experience gave her something far greater – her life back.
“It feels really strange to have won!” the Auckland business owner, 31, tells Woman’s Day.
“I’ve never been good at anything in my life and never won anything, so I had no expectations of winning this game at all. I was there to find myself, have a good time, meet some new people and just get out of my shitty real life!”
Three years after losing her partner, league player Tere Livingstone, Chloe was desperate for an escape. Tere was fatally injured during a match, and she immersed herself in something that would take her mind off her grief.
Life post-Traitors
Now, she says, life post-Traitors has been a whole lot sunnier and the game has benefited her far more emotionally than financially.
“It was so nice to be myself around people and for once not be the ‘grief girl’. It was so nice not having people walk on eggshells around me. I had so much fun!”
Since filming wrapped late last year, Chloe has noticed a real change in herself and so have her mates.
She explains, “Quite a few friends have said, ‘You came back like Chloe again and we hadn’t seen Chloe for so long.’ “I was at a point where I didn’t even feel comfortable calling myself Chloe because I’d changed so much.”
A second family
As well as the money, Chloe is thrilled she’s made so many new friends among the cast. They’re still in touch and, crucially, there are no hard feelings. Chloe’s four-year-old Nīkora even refers to her fellow Traitor Keanu Feleti as “Uncle Kiki”!
For Chloe, everything she’s done has been for her boy. Her winnings have gone towards sprucing up their backyard, so Nīkora has somewhere safe and nice to play.
Her biggest supporter
“I know that sounds boring, but it really was everything I wanted,” she smiles.
“He goes out and runs around, and I got him a little swing set. He has a beautiful place to play now and it’s so nice to see. “He watched the final with me and a group of my girlfriends who came over, but he got quite upset when Keanu was banished! Then he got a bit feral, but I think he was happy that Mummy won!”
