Anne ‘The Governess’ Hegerty has revealed information about how The Chase stars are paid.
The 66-year-old OG star revealed that she is paid per episode for the popular ITV series, which began in 2009.
Currently, there are six chasers in total – Anne of course, Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Paul Sinha, Jenny Ryan, and the most recent addition, Darragh Ennis – who each take their turn in the hot seat.
As a result of the pay structure, expert quizzer Anne isn’t too keen on another chaser joining the pack as it will mean fewer episodes and less money in her bank account.
‘Well we do always hope not,’ she said when asked about the possibility of a new quizzer on the show.
She continued to The Mirror: ‘It’s not as if they’re going to up the budget and add a new salary, a new chaser would just mean the same number of shows shared between more people – so less money for everyone. So, hope not!’
While she’s not keen for anyone new right now, she was happy for Darragh, 44, to join in 2020.
‘You know, Darragh has been a very good new addition, he’s very popular, and that’s worthwhile,’ she shared.
In fact, Anne gets along with all her co-stars: ‘We know each other, and certainly on Beat the Chasers we tend to hang out a lot, because we’re all there at the same time.’
Anne, who has also appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Mastermind and Catchphrase, is said to be worth an estimated £3.2 million. Her company, Frosty Knickers Ltd, had a healthy £807,257 cash in bank in August 2023 according to financial records on Companies House.
Shaun, 64, also known as The Dark Destroyer, has also given a clue on their earnings. He ‘earns about 10 times more’ as a TV star than when he was working as a barrister.
‘A lot. That’s all I’ll say. How many zeros? Well into six-zero territory and my earnings have increased massively since I’ve started working in TV,’ he told The Times when asked how much he earned.
‘I got paid well as a barrister but I’m now earning about ten times the amount I was before. I still practise, though, so I have a dual income.
‘Probably 70% of my income comes from my TV work and 30% from the legal side. Everything changed when I won Mastermind in 2004. Not just my finances, my whole life.’
While attending the TV Choice Awards, Anne also spoke to Metro and shared 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. With her bottom line, we’d be grateful too!
‘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”.’
The Chase airs on ITV at 5pm on weekdays.
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