'I do love being funny'

From her love of pot plants to dreams of becoming a comic actress, quiz queen Anne Hegerty aka The Chase's Governess, shows Shelley Spadoni her softer side

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She may have become a household name thanks to her terrifying alter ego The Governess on the hit quiz show The Chase, but it hasn't stopped Anne Hegerty becoming something of a national treasure.

With her sharp wit, cutting put-downs, not to mention her incredible knowledge of trivia, the 67-year-old professional quizzer has become a firm fan favourite since she became a Chaser in 2010.

No wonder Anne, who was diagnosed with autism when she was 45, has broken out of the quiz world, appearing on I'm A Celebrity in 2018 alongside Fleur East, Noel Edmonds and eventual winner Harry Redknapp, and even breaking into acting with a bit part in a horror film.

Unapologetically her own woman, here the witty and wonderfully straight-talking TV star opens up about why she's not one bit interested in romance, having a bone to pick with her old jungle campmate Nick Knowles, and the big ambition she’s yet to tick off...

Anne, what are you up to at the moment?

I'm enjoying a little break from work. We finished filming the current series of The Chase in early April and we have tons of shows in the can.

I'm not sure how long I have off just yet. It's a question of when we can get to the studio and when we can get Bradley Walsh as he is, without doubt, the busiest man in showbiz. And it’s nice as we all get on well away from the cameras. It wouldn't really work if we didn't.

Will you be resting up then?

There's a three-day quiz weekend happening in Manchester and I fully intend to go to that.

Don’t you do enough quizzes in your day job?