A retired headteacher from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, has died just a month after winning a £100,000 jackpot on the ITV quiz show The Chase. Tim McCarthy, 64, passed away in July following a long battle with illness.
His wife, Rachel McCarthy, revealed that Tim had been diagnosed with a terminal condition before filming and knew he had limited time left. Despite this, he chose to take part, recording his episode several months before his death. Under the programme's confidentiality agreement, he could not share the outcome publicly.
Tim appeared alongside teammates Lorcan, Shirin, and Julie against Jenny 'The Vixen' Ryan. After a shaky start with just £1,000 in the cash builder, he took a bold leap in his head-to-head, choosing the highest offer of £95,000. Against the odds, he beat the Chaser, securing a total of £100,000 for the team.
Rachel told the BBC: 'He was so excited when he was selected for the show even though he was very ill. Watching the episode was going to be very difficult, but it was part of his bucket list.' She added: 'He was the most clever man I ever knew.'
Tim graduated with a physics degree from the University of Manchester at age 19, later becoming principal of Stockport Academy and founding the Aurora Academies Trust. Friends and family gathered in a Manchester pub to watch his episode, unaware of the result he had taken to the grave. One friend said: 'We will be gathering round our set with friends to watch our very good friend Tim battle it out with the Chasers.'
