Paul Sinha, known as The Sinnerman on ITV's The Chase, has revealed that an on-air admission about singer John Legend has haunted him for years. The 56-year-old quizzer, who has been on the show since 2011, discussed the incident during an appearance on The Harry Hill Show podcast.
Speaking to fellow comedian Harry Hill, 62, Sinha was asked about his preparation for The Chase. He explained that his focus is not on learning random facts but on staying current with trends and popular music.
Haunted by a John Legend admission
Sinha, a former medical professional turned comedian, said: "Practically, try not to look ignorant, like old and ignorant." He then recalled the moment that stuck with him: "Years ago I said, 'I've never heard of John Legend' on The Chase, and it's haunted me ever since that I could appear on television as a quiz expert and not have heard of John Legend."
He added: "So the most important thing is to just keep up with the things that would make you look old if you reveal you don't know anything about it...I learn stuff every day, every afternoon, every evening."
When asked if he sets aside dedicated time for learning, Sinha replied: "No....Life's too short."
Behind the scenes with the Chasers
This is not the first time a Chaser has offered insight into the show's inner workings. Jenny Ryan and Anne Hegerty appeared on This Morning last year to describe what happens when all six Chasers are together.
Ryan, nicknamed The Vixen, said: "It's quite a dangerous thing to put all six of us together - the egos and all the brain power. The competitive warm-up quizzing that goes on in the dressing room is something to behold."
Despite their combined knowledge, the Chasers do sometimes lose. In a separate interview with the Metro, Sinha reflected on defeat: "If a team plays well and they beat you, I'm relatively okay. But if a team don't do too well and they win because I was bad, then I'm very annoyed. We're also aware that we never lose the audience will hate it."
