Joe Pasquale has opened up about his surprise role as The Maverick on Beat The Chasers, revealing that he underwent rigorous preparation with the show's regular Chasers before his debut. The 64-year-old comedian told The Mirror that the existing Chasers – Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Paul Sinha and Jenny Ryan – were blunt in their feedback.
Pasquale explained that he had Zoom practice sessions with them two weeks before filming, where they used makeshift buzzers. He said: "The first few times I was buzzing it, I would go, 'It's urm...' and they said, 'No. Don't do that. If it's not accessible to your brain straight away, do not attempt to go into it.'"
The comedian, who is a friend of host Bradley Walsh of more than 40 years, made history as the first celebrity Chaser after producers invited him to join. He described the experience of sitting alongside the quizzing experts as daunting but amazing, adding that he had to train his brain to access information quickly, like a "rolodex".
As for whether The Maverick might return, Pasquale said he loved the challenge and would be eager to do it again. "Anything that scares me, gets my heart rate up, then I really enjoy," he added.
