As Cat explains on the show, she is used to taking a backseat in social situations and observing. She also reflects that being AuDHD has helped her learn not to take things personally, which means she’s able to enter into the role of traitor without getting flustered.

Why is Cat so good at playing all of these roles? Well, it’s because she is always playing a role — she always has to do the extra work of thinking before she speaks, of masking so that others feel comfortable around her.

“Just like 50-70% of autistic people who also have ADHD, Cat Burns is likely to experience both intensified strengths and challenges as a result of living with AuDHD,” says Leanne Maskell, an AuDHD Coach, Author, Trainer & Founder of ADHD Works. “Having this dual diagnosis has enabled Cat to ‘name it to tame it’ – to understand how her AuDHD traits interlink, and how the ‘creative adjustments’ she’s had to develop help her survive a neurotypical world.”

According to Maskell, AuDHD gives Cat a “unique competitive advantage.” “Especially within a ‘survival’ environment, which our ‘hunter’ brains are well adapted for,” she says. “Understanding, reframing, and harnessing her strengths – like the ability to mask strategically, observe patterns, hyper-focus and process emotions differently — Cat shows that she can thrive because of her AuDHD — not in spite of it.”

“With autistic people we’re masking all the time,” Cat said to MTV UK. “As soon as you leave your house, you’re masking again.”

Added to her neurodivergence, there’s the fact that she is also a Black woman. As Maskell notes, “These traits are also shaped by her intersectional experiences as a Black, queer woman, already navigating multiple layers of systemic discrimination.”

PHOTOGRAPHER:,Euan Cherry

“Being a woman, being a Black woman, there’s so many expectations put on you so I’m very conscious,” she told explaining that she is careful to be “over-friendly” so that people “don’t think I’m rude.” She’s always ”conscious of making sure I’m smiling and not making other people feel uncomfortable.”

As a Black AuDHD woman, Cat has developed a deep awareness of how she’s perceived by others, often navigating the world through masking and careful self-regulation. That lived experience, while challenging, seems to have uniquely prepared her for the strategic environment of Celebrity Traitors. Her ability to stay composed, read social cues, and adapt in the moment makes her a quiet force to be reckoned with – and we’re completely hooked.