Anne Hegerty, the 67-year-old star of ITV's The Chase, has compared a frightening fan encounter to the Netflix series Baby Reindeer after a woman moved hundreds of miles to be closer to her. The incident occurred in 2012 when a woman from London relocated to Manchester, settling just three streets away from Hegerty.
Woman Moved to Manchester to Be Near The Governess
Speaking to The Sun, Hegerty explained that she had been friendly with the woman, who misinterpreted the relationship. 'There was a woman who I was being friendly with and got her wires crossed and the next thing I knew she packed up her home in London and moved to Manchester to live three streets away,' Hegerty said.
'I gradually fended her off and she got the message. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I have to be careful with people who I befriend. Nobody knew who we were at first, I was trying to be nice. But people can overstep, especially if you're not used to having to set boundaries. It was similar to Baby Reindeer, but not as bad.'
Baby Reindeer Comparison and Ongoing Friendship
Baby Reindeer, a Netflix original series that premiered in 2024, stars Richard Gadd as a comedian stalked by a woman after a single act of kindness. The show won six Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Hegerty confirmed she remains friends with the woman on Facebook, despite the unsettling experience.
Anne Hegerty's Career and Earnings
Known as 'The Governess', Hegerty has appeared on The Chase since 2010, featuring in over 500 episodes and beating contestants more than 400 times—making her the most successful chaser. She also competed on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2018. Hegerty, who moved to Manchester in the 1980s, noted that ITV paused filming for a year due to a backlog of episodes. She said, 'I won't make money from the daytime Chase for a year. But the thing is I've got money in the bank and I'm doing panto again so I'll be fine.'
