The Chase star Jenny Ryan, known as The Vixen, revealed she underwent major thyroid surgery and was ordered to stay quiet for two weeks during recovery. The 44-year-old quizzer shared a health update on Instagram on July 2, 2026, showing her fresh neck scar from her hospital bed.
Surgery Details and Recovery
In her Instagram post, Ryan explained that her thyroid gland had enlarged and started causing problems, leading to its removal. She wrote: "My thyroid gland made a bid for fame and got so big it started causing some problems, so we* chopped it out." The surgery was successful, and her consultant is very happy with the outcome. However, she had to remain silent for a couple of weeks to avoid complications. She added: "I had to stay quiet for a couple of weeks in case my head fell off**, but we are grand now."
Fans React and Support
Fans quickly flooded the comments with well-wishes. One user wrote: "I'm glad to hear you're recovering well!! The NHS is such a treasure [six heart emojis]." Another said: "I'm glad the surgery went well! I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly [heart emoji]." A third fan shared a personal experience: "Get well soon, Jenny. I had mine removed on the 18th June and totally agree, the NHS were fantastic. I'm forever grateful."
Jenny Ryan’s Journey to The Chase
Ryan also reflected on her demanding path to becoming a Chaser. The Bolton native faced a six-month audition process after appearing on The Weakest Link as a civilian. She underwent several auditions and a screen test with host Bradley Walsh before landing the role. Speaking on The Final FronTia podcast with Tia Kofi, she said: "It wasn't an easy process. I had been on the quiz circuit for quite a long time, and I had known The Beast [Mark Labbett] for many years before he got the job. I had kind of seen everyone else come through the ranks of the competitive quiz world and wondered when my audition was, and it was a really tough process; it was six months' worth of auditions before they decided I got the job."
Ryan humorously compared the recruitment to intelligence work, saying: "It's harder than getting into MI6!"
