Anne Hegerty, known as the fearsome Governess on ITV's The Chase, leads a life starkly different from her on-screen persona. With an impressive 82.4% win percentage and 100% accuracy in 23 shows, she rarely loses. However, before her quizzing fame, Hegerty faced significant struggles, including the brink of homelessness.
Hegerty began her career as a journalist, working as a reporter and features writer for the South Wales Argus before moving to Manchester. She also ghost-wrote two books under the name of author-illustrator Richard Scarry. Later, as a freelance proofreader living in a council house, she struggled financially and was at risk of homelessness. With help from Disability Living Allowance and a social worker, she discovered the high-level quizzing circuit.
Her quizzing career took off with appearances on Mastermind, Fifteen to One, and Brain of Britain. In 2010, she helped a friend win £75,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? by correctly answering a Twilight question as a phone-a-friend. In 2016, she ranked 55th in the World Quizzing Championships, second among women.
Hegerty has been open about her personal life, including her Asperger's syndrome and its impact on relationships. She has stated that her longest relationship lasted four months, and she finds it difficult to maintain relationships due to her autism. She has since decided that being single is 'brilliant' and advises friends in unhappy relationships to embrace being alone.
