Shaun Wallace, the 66-year-old quiz expert known as the Dark Destroyer on The Chase, has stated he would leave the ITV show if the number of chasers grows further.
Wallace's ultimatum on the chaser line-up
Wallace, who has been a chaser since 2009, told The Sun: 'I can't see any other chasers being appointed. And if it got too crowded, I'd probably leave.' He added: 'I think if they had one more, then I'd consider it [quitting]. Because it would look ridiculous to have too many chasers.'
The original chasers included Mark 'The Beast' Labbett. Anne 'The Governess' Hegerty joined in 2010, followed by Paul 'The Sinnerman' Sinha in 2011. Jenny 'The Vixen' Ryan and Darragh 'The Menace' Ennis were added later, with Ennis joining in 2020.
Reflections on past additions
Wallace acknowledged that adding Jenny Ryan was necessary to address gender balance. 'There was three of us for two years. Then there was four of us for five. And, you know, that's when they decided that we needed another female chaser, which I think was good,' he said, noting that Ryan came out 'on top by a mile' during the contest to appoint the new chaser.
He also noted viewer scepticism about new faces: 'They were sceptical when Jenny first came on. They were sceptical when Darragh first came on. Because they don't like change.'
Recent spin-off and career
The show recently launched a spin-off, The Chase Around the World, where six teams solve clues to find Bradley Walsh and the chasers. Wallace, a barrister turned TV personality, has been on the show for 17 years. When asked about his salary by The Times last year, he said: 'A lot. That's all I'll say. How many zeros? Well into six-zero territory and my earnings have increased massively since I've started working in TV.'
