Anne Hegerty, known as the Governess on The Chase, candidly revealed she initially felt “resentful” when show bosses opted to have a writer curb her tendency for making off-the-cuff “inappropriate” remarks.
The quiz master has been an integral part of the ITV quiz show since its second series, but her habit of colourful commentary led to the enlistment of a professional scriptwriter to ensure nothing “inappropriate” slipped out. Although initially opposed to the idea, she soon warmed up to it.
Speaking on the Tell Us About Yourself podcast, the 66 year old said: “Around about series four the producers decided they wanted a bit more certainty about what we were going to say when we went out there.
“They know I have a tendency to swear. I understand about not swearing on daytime TV but they were afraid I might say something inappropriate.
“They actually brought in a writer. I remember being terribly resentful about this, thinking: ‘Why do we need a writer? ‘ And actually I love him, he’s brilliant,” reports the Mirror.
“I have to say most of my lines when I first come out. I sit down and I say ‘hello, contestant’. Then I deliver a line and that’s almost certainly been written for me by Adam.”
Despite having scripted elements, she shared that The Chase fans often remark on how “spontaneous” she appears.
The formidable Hegerty also revealed the evolution of her televised persona, including a pivotal alteration following guidance from a friend.
She explained: “The Governess was originally going to be different. I had in mind that she should be less assertive and more creepy like Dolores Umbridge (the Harry Potter character).
“It was Daphne (quiz legend Daphne Fowler) who was going to be one of the people I was thinking of basing her on. She was going to be terribly sweet and nice and then she’d turn out to be a killer.”
A friend’s advice made her change tack: “A friend of mine said: ‘You won’t be able to keep that up.’ So I switched from Umbridge.”
This comes as Anne makes significant comments about her future on television, expressing a disinterest in pursuing further reality TV gigs following her 2018 stint in “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! ”
Despite the challenges of the Australian jungle, Anne reflects that no other show could match the scale of I’m A Celeb, leading her to a firm decision.
She stated: “The jungle is about as big as you can get. Everything else is a bit of a step down. I don’t want to do another reality show unless it involves something I want to get better at. I think I’m done.”