The Chase star addresses rumours they have ‘been sacked’ from hit ITV quiz show after vanishing from screens
FANS of The Chase have been worried that Shaun Wallace was axed from the show after noticing that he has been absent from the game show for a while.
He has made a statement addressing the rumours in an appearance on The Hearing – A Legal Podcast.
The barrister, who goes by the nickname ‘the Dark Destroyer’ on the ITV show, explained that his other career has been responsible for his disappearance.
He said: “If I’ve got a long trial, then that will take precedence over my filming, and The Chase know that.
“But I’ve then got to make up my other episodes later on in the series.
“So when people [ask] ‘Has he been sacked?’ No, just back to my legal career.”
Shaun, 62, is one of the game show’s original two Chasers alongside Mark Labbett.
He is famed for his encyclopaedic general knowledge, and previous contestants have referred to him as the “worst Chaser” to be up against as so few have beaten him.
Despite having to juggle his legal job with filming requirements, Shaun made it clear in a previous interview with the Sun that he has no plans to step back from the show.
At the time he shared: “No [I’d never stop], the only time I would stop if I was told [by bosses] that I was no longer needed, so from my perspective, no.”
He also spoke about how he manages to split his time between barrister work and The Chase on Good Morning Britain.
Shaun was quick to say: “It’s 50/50 but I always wanted to be remembered as a barrister who happened to be on TV, not the other way around.
“Although I’m grateful I’m on a hugely successful show, the one thing I don’t take for granted is a, my position on it and b, me answering the questions as a Chaser.
“I’m only as good as the last question I answered correctly and as a barrister I’m only as good as my last closing speech.”
The Chase: Current lineup of Chasers on the ITV show
The Chase first premiered on ITV back in 2009 and has become a firm favourite among viewers since then. The roster of professional quizzers ('chasers') has grown significantly since the show's launch.
- Mark Labbett (2009 – present): Known as ‘The Beast’, Mark is a former Maths teacher and previously won £32,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Mark has also reprised his role as a Chaser in the US and Australian versions of the show.
- Shaun Wallace (2009 – present): Shaun, a barrister and former Mastermind champion, goes by the ‘Dark Destroyer’. Shaun has appeared on the Australian version of The Chase. In 2008, he finished as runner-up to Barry Simmons in Are You an Egghead?, a contest to find a new member of the then-BBC quiz team.
- Anne Hegerty (2010 – present): A former contestant on Mastermind, Fifteen To One and Are You an Egghead?, Anne goes by ‘The Governess’. Since joining The Chase, she appeared on I’m A Celebrity… in 2018.
- Paul Sinha (2011-present): Comedian and qualified doctor Paul joined the Chaser line-up in 2011, taking the nickname ‘The Sinnerman’. He has appeared on The Weakest Link, University Challenge and Brain of Britain. In 2018, Paul starred in series 8 of popular game show Taskmaster.
- Jenny Ryan (2015 – present): Known as ‘The Vixen’, Jenny was previously in a winning team on Only Connect. She also appeared in Mastermind, The Weakest Link and Fifteen To One before joining The Chase in 2015.
- Darragh Ennis (2020 – present): A postdoctoral researcher, Darragh joined The Chase in 2020 as ‘The Menace’. He is the first former contestant to join the line-up, having been part of a winning team against Paul Sinha in 2017.