Quiz show favourite Anne Hegerty has revealed a stunningly glamorous transformation for the upcoming Christmas special of ITV's The Chase. The first-look images show the 67-year-old, known as The Governess, sporting a blonde wig and a sparkling sequined gown.
Festive Fancy Dress and Celebrity Contestants
The special festive instalment will feature a 'Christmas Lunch' fancy dress theme, with the Chasers embodying key parts of the meal. Anne Hegerty will appear as a Christmas Cracker, while her colleagues transform into other culinary classics: Mark Labbett (The Beast) is a Christmas Pudding, Paul Sinha (The Sinnerman) is a Turkey, Jenny Ryan (The Vixen) is a Brussels sprout, and Darragh Ennis (The Menace) is a Pig in a Blanket.
They will be joined by a team of four celebrities – Lucy Porter, Colin Murray, Tommy Blaize and Asim Chaudhry – who will compete to win money for their chosen charities. The episode is scheduled to air on ITV on Christmas Eve at 5:55pm.
Anne Hegerty's Chaser Legacy and Past Appearances
Anne Hegerty made history when she joined the hit quiz show in 2010, becoming the programme's first female Chaser. Her popularity soared further when she participated in the 2018 series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, where she was the fifth celebrity to be voted out of the jungle. Her campmates included the likes of Noel Edmonds, Fleur East, and eventual winner Harry Redknapp.
Beyond the regular teatime episodes, Hegerty has also appeared in the spin-off series Beat The Chasers and The Chase Australia.
Viewer Shock Over Unprecedented Contestant Move
The news of the Christmas special follows a recent episode that left viewers of The Chase stunned by a contestant's unprecedented move. During the show, contestant Paula, after securing £6,000 in her cash builder, did something never seen before: she asked Chaser Anne Hegerty for advice on whether to take the lower offer of £1,000 or push for £66,000.
Despite Anne suggesting she would "probably" take the £6,000 as Paula's teammates urged, Paula decided to go for the high-stakes £66,000, saying, "I feel like I'm only here once." Fans quickly took to social media to express their confusion that a contestant would ask a Chaser's opinion and then ignore it, with many calling the moment a first in the show's history.
The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
