Anne Hegerty has admitted that she can become so frustrated during filming for The Chase that the set isn’t totally safe.
Although the 66-year-old expert quizzer’s impressive general knowledge often means she’s able to beat the contestants who come on the ITV series, sometimes things don’t go her way.
On those rare occasions Anne, also known as The Governess, revealed to Metro at the TV Choice Awards that she has ‘been known to kick the set’ in frustration. However, while experiencing rage, Anne is still careful to make sure she doesn’t cause any substantial damage: ‘I’ve been known to ask beforehand if something is solid. I have slightly hurt my toe doing it but it’s important I don’t damage the set. I depend on it. It’s my bread and butter job.’
Even when she’s seemingly having a tricky time, Anne is always grateful to be at work on the show presented by Bradley Walsh.
‘Even if I have performed badly, even if I come down the steps and kick the set, because I’m so cheesed off it’s still the best job I’ve ever had,’ she stated.
‘I always say it’s the best job I’ve ever had because it just feels like my comfort zone.
‘I get up in the morning and I have coffee, I have to make myself go have a shower and get dry and then put my clothes on and get in the car, but when I’m actually on the floor about to film I think “I know what I’m doing now. Getting up and having a shower is the difficult bit, this is the easy part”.’
She’s not the only one who loves The Chase, as well as having a huge fanbase in the UK, the show has global reach.
Anne discovered just how big the show was in New Zealand when passing through Auckland airport. After causing excitement by simply asking a young couple for the Wi-Fi password Anne then did some research.
‘It’s on twice a day there, and a third of the population watches it on any given week. It’s bigger in New Zealand than it is here,’ she proudly stated.
‘The British version is also shown in Canada, Guyana, South Africa and the UAE. The only continent it isn’t shown on is Antarctica, because the penguins haven’t asked for it yet.’
Fans in the UK often want to talk to Anne about something else entirely – I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! She was a contestant on the show in 2018, becoming the fifth star to be eliminated. Series 18 was eventually won by Harry Redknapp.
‘I get stopped in the supermarket by fans, and they’ll say “my kid is autistic, and you’re an inspiration”, which is nice or “I really liked you in the jungle”.’
Anne honestly admitted: ‘I didn’t like me. I wanted to get out.’ It wasn’t just a passing thought, Anne told the producers she wanted to leave the Australian jungle but stayed for one reason.
‘My campmates persuaded me to. They were the most lovely bunch. It was just them being so friendly and cuddling me and sort of trying to make things easy on me that helped but it was a relief to be voted out,’ she recalled.
The Chase airs on ITV at 5pm on weekdays.
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