Issa Schultz and Anne Hegerty on Beat the Chasers
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Beat the Chasers viewers complain as Anne Hegerty replaced in series return

Viewers want Anne back!

Beat the Chasers returned last night without Anne Hegerty and her absence left many people complaining.

The Chase star Anne wasn’t on the show last night, and viewers weren’t happy.

Darragh Ennis, Paul Sinha, Jenny Ryan, Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Issa Schultz on Beat the Chasers
The hit ITV show returned, with a new Chaser (Credit: ITV)

Where is Anne Hegerty on Beat the Chasers?

Beat the Chasers returned to ITV for its fifth season last night. All the Chasers were back too, bar one – Anne, aka The Governess.

Due to Anne having Covid at the time of filming, a replacement was drafted in – Issa Schultz from The Chase Australia.

At the beginning of the show, Bradley Walsh announced the Chasers one by one. He then announced Anne, only for her chair to be empty.

Read more: Beat the Chasers: where’s Anne Hegerty and who is Issa Schultz?

“The Governess? What’s the matter with the Governess? The Governess anyone?” he asked the Chasers.

“No one really knows where she is at the moment,” Paul Sinha said. “But if anyone spots her, the public are warned not to approach under any circumstances.”

Bradley then announced Anne’s replacement – Issa, aka The Supernerd.

Anne Hegerty on Beat the Chasers
Viewers missed Anne (Credit: ITV / YouTube)

Beat the Chasers on ITV

Whilst the audience in the studio seemed happy to see Issa, many viewers just couldn’t get over Anne’s absence.

Plenty took to Twitter to make very similar complaints – that the show wasn’t the same without her!

#BeatTheChasers not the same without @anne_hegerty,” one viewer tweeted. 

“Missed Anne tonight even though I knew she wasn’t on. I moved to Pointless this evening. Lingo is alright but not the 5pm spot. Rather they switched Tipping Point around!” another said.

“Missed Anne as well not the same without her,” a third replied.

“Not the same without The Governess,” another said.

There was plenty of praise for Issa too. “SO thrilled to be watching @Issa25’s UK debut – he’s a brilliant Chaser on the Australian show and he’ll be exactly the same here! So happy they got him in! Gotta love the Supernerd,” one viewer said. 

Another told Issa on Twitter: “You smashed it well done and welcome to the UK Beat the Chasers.”

Issa Schultz on Beat the Chasers
Issa is on this series of Beat the Chasers (Credit: ITV)

Who is Issa Schultz?

Viewers of the Australian version of The Chase will be well acquainted with Issa by now.

The 38-year-old has been a part of the show since it launched in 2015.

The Australian TV star revealed in an interview with The Sun how he dropped everything and jetted off to the UK within hours of getting the call up following Anne’s positive Covid test.

Read more: Alfie Boe’s marriage – who was his wife and what happened?

“I got a last-minute call to step into The Governess’ cold and chilly shoes,” he said.

“What a delight. It was close to 1am Brisbane time – I’m a night owl and my Australia boss said to the UK bosses, ‘Just call him up, he’ll be up.’ And then I was on the plane, I think it was close to 9am that very morning,” he continued.

“As they say, the show must go on! I’d be foolish not to do it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuoOa3m_T7M&t=8s

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Robert Emlyn Slater
Senior Writer