Anne Hegerty looking up on This Morning
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Beat the Chasers star Anne Hegerty on her prosopagnosia which led to her not recognising her stepmother in the street

Anne has autism

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Beat the Chasers star Anne Hegerty previously opened up about having prosopagnosia that led to an awkward moment for her.

She made the confession during The Chasers’ Road Trip: Trains, Brains and Automobiles back in 2021.

Beat The Chasers star Anne Hegerty
Anne has facial blindness (Credit: CoverImages.com)

Anne Hegerty on ’embarrassing’ moment caused by her autism

Back in 2021, during the road trip, Anne opened up about her autism. She revealed that one thing that goes along with her autism is prosopagnosia, also known as facial blindness.

“One of the things that quite often goes along with autism is prosopagnosia, face blindness,” she explained at the time.

“There was an occasion where I was walking down the street, and there was this vaguely familiar woman; I couldn’t place her,” she then said.

“Hours later, I remembered she was my stepmother. That can be embarrassing.”

She mentioned her prosopagnosia during an episode of The Chase too.

“Not being able to recognise faces is called prosopagnosia and I know that because I have it,” she said.

Anne Hegerty during an interview
Anne has been open about her autism (Credit: 7NEWS Spotlight / YouTube)

Anne on her autism

The Chase star has previously spoken extensively about her autism.

The 65-year-old didn’t get diagnosed until she was 45, after having watched a TV show about the developmental disability.

“It kind of helped me just reframe everything,” she said during an interview with the Guardian in 2021.

“I suddenly found myself more sympathetic to others: oh, I see why people expected me to do that, why that little girl said that, why my mum thought this,” she then added.

She also spoke about how she has a “sticky memory” thanks to her autism.

“I don’t think I have a photographic memory – I have a sticky memory. I come across stuff and it stays with me,” she said.

Anne Hegerty speaking on This Morning
Anne isn’t quitting The Chase anytime soon (Credit: ITV)

Beat The Chasers star Anne Hegerty addresses quitting The Chase

Last month, Anne revealed that she was offered a role in a short film and “decided to go for it”.

During the interview with The Sun, she said: “It should be a lot of fun. I’m rather looking forward to it.”

She later said: “That’s about it when it comes to experience. But the team behind the film obviously thinks I’ve got a bit of acting ability, which is a good sign.”

However, she was quick to shut down any rumours that she would be quitting The Chase anytime soon.

“I don’t have any plans to retire. It’s the little workhorse that makes everything else possible, and I love doing it. It’s the best job I’ve ever had, so I’m happy to keep going as long as they want me for,” she said.

Read more: Inside filming for The Chase – from clothing rules; what Bradley Walsh is like; size of the studio

The Chase is on weekdays at at 5pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR0xjUkmk2I&t=184s&ab_channel=7NEWSSpotlight

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Robert Emlyn Slater
Senior Writer