To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

The Chase's Anne Hegerty Reveals That She Scrapped Her Original Nickname

The Chase's Anne Hegerty Reveals That She Scrapped Her Original Nickname

She's known as the Governess now but she wasn't always going to be.

Simon Catling

Simon Catling

Anne Hegerty may be known globally now as The Governess, but The Chase star has revealed that it was only because of the decision of the show's host that she ended up with the nickname at all.

Speaking to The Guardian, the quiz expert said that initially she was going to be known as the Headmistress for successful show, which now averages between three and five million people per episode.

However, once Bradley Walsh started calling the Governess instead, the name was set and she's never looked back - going on to star in spin-offs The Chase Australia and Beat The Chasers, as well as presenting Britain's Brightest Family and it's celebrity version on ITV.

"I don't know, he just saw something governessy in me," Hegerty told The Guardian, admitting that she was thankful for the change.

"She can basically do what she likes, whereas a headmistress has a board of governors she has to report to."

ITV

Hegerty has also previously revealed that her character was also supposed to have a series of character traits that would've vamped up her on-screen persona. However, these also ended up being canned.

Speaking to Loose Woman, she said "Originally the character was going to be more sort of creepy than she is.

"I remember saying I wanted her to be a sort of cross between Caroline Aherne as Mrs Merton and Daphne Fowler on Eggheads. I wanted everyone to think in terms of Delores Umbridge and the creepiest thing about her was those damn kittens."

However, she was advised it wouldn't work out.

"A friend of mine said that is a bit too different from what you are like and you won't be able to maintain that," she said.

Hegerty is far from the only quiz master whose character and name has changed on The Chase. As the Huffington Post reported, relative newcomer Darragh Ennis - a previous competitor on the show in 2017 - explained to This Morning in November that he rejected his name of The Professor.

ITV

Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Ennis said: "They did say that to me, but I work in the university here in Oxford and professor is a title that you really have to earn. I think people would be very annoyed if I started calling myself the Professor.

"So I said I didn't want that, but they didn't tell me what my name would be until I was on set. I was on stage, waiting to go on when I first heard."

Ennis is of course now called the Menace.

ITV

Meanwhile, in an interview with Lorraine Kelly in January, The Metro reported that Jenny Ryan also admitted that she wasn't always going to be called The Vixen, having originally been termed The Cougar during a screen test for her role in 2015.

Ryan was less than enamoured with what she felt was the inappropriate nickname and so ultimately debuted as The Vixen - a name she's since become synonymous with.

Featured Image Credit: Credit: ITV

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment