Quiz expert Anne Hegerty has shot down claims she and her co-stars are cheating on ITV‘s The Chase.
Also known as The Governess to fans of the show, Anne denied that chasers use earpieces to cheat.
“I get people saying all sorts of things,” Anne told the Daily Star. “They ask me if I cheat. They say, ‘You’ve got someone in your ears telling you the answers’.
She revealed that the show’s integrity is verified by independent adjudicators, though admitted that “there are always going to be cynical people”.
“There’s nothing secret happening. It wouldn’t work if it wasn’t all above board,” she added.
Anne says Bradley Walsh is not biased towards the chasers
She’s also heard rumours that The Chase host Bradley Walsh offers preferential treatment to the Chasers, reading their questions faster. “I’ve checked with a stopwatch and he doesn’t do that,” she insisted. “If the show did any of that, wouldn’t they get six better-looking people?”
Over the years, Anne has dealt with the complaints of dishonesty on the series in multiple ways.
She said: “Sometimes I respond and sometimes I think, ‘Oh, just go away… you’ve been saying this for 14 years… just shove off’. It’s not really worth it. People are always trying to find a reason not to trust something – they think they’re really clever.”
Anne welcomes a challenge from any viewer who thinks they can beat her at quizzes
Anne offered a challenge to anyone who thinks they are cheating.
She said if people “want to see how good we are, they can go against us”.
The Chase sees contestants attempt to beat quiz masters – known as Chasers – to win a cash prize. However, they win nothing if the Chaser answers more correct answers in the time limit.
The Chase also stars Shaun “The Barrister” Wallace, Paul “The Sinnerman” Sinha, Jenny “The Vixen” Ryan, Darragh “The Menace” Ennis and Mark “The Beast” Labbett.
Read more: The Chase fans slam Bradley Walsh as he accuses Shaun Wallace of ‘showboating’
The Chase airs on weekdays from 5pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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