There’s a new chaser in town! Former The Chase contestant lands role on hit show

The Chase is set to welcome a new quiz master to its team, as it has been revealed that a former contestant on the show has landed a coveted position in the show’s ranks alongside the likes of ‘The Beast’ and ‘The Governess’.

Irish star Darragh Ennis appeared on the British version of the hugely popular TV show in 2017, wowing viewers when he banked a whopping £9000 (AU$17,867) during his round, and now two years later he is set to return to the program as a Chaser, The Mirror reports.

According to the publication Ennis will not replace any of the current quiz masters, instead becoming the sixth Chaser on the show. While being on the other side of the podium will be a change for Ennis, who is a post doctoral researcher at Oxford University, a source told The Mirror, “he’s got what it takes” and has already proved his got the brains to take on the role.

“They don’t bring in new members on The Chase regularly so this is a big deal for the show and Darragh,” the source told The Mirror. “Viewers will be very interested to see how he gets on.”

They added: “The show is so popular with spin off shows now as well so there is a need to increase the team. No one is leaving, Darragh is very much an addition to the team.”

The news of Ennis’ new role comes months after The Chase host Bradley Walsh hinted a new Chaser would be joining the show. Appearing on Good Morning Britain back in November, Walsh said at the time an additional cast signing had been made.

“It’s 10-years-old now [the show], what can we say? We’ve got a brand new chaser coming in for another new series,” he told host Piers Morgan. “It just goes on and on.”

Ennis is the first new chaser to join the show since X-Factor star Jenny Ryan signed up in 2015. The 38-year-old initially wrote questions for the pilot episode of The Chase and later joined as a Chaser after being recommended by Anne Hegerty.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been all good news for The Chase team this year though, with Chaser Paul Sinha mourning the loss of a long-time friend and quiz buddy who reportedly died of coronavirus.

According to the Mirror Online, the TV personality took to Twitter late last month to write a now-deleted tribute to his friend Jon Jacobs, who he said had died after contracting the virus.

“Woken up to the news that Jon Jacob, my friend, and quiz teammate for the last decade, has succumbed to corona,” Sinha tweeted. “Farewell mate, we smashed Sunday afternoons. And you’ll always be the Greatest Classical Music Quizzer ever.”

Others were quick to offer their condolences, with Paddy Duffy, who is a quiz-master on BBC Radio 4’s Round Britain Quiz, writing: “I’m beyond gutted to learn of the passing of my friend and quiz teammate Jon Jacob, due to Covid-19 complications. Just a lovely man, brilliant fun and incredibly erudite. I’ll remember fondly our Sunday matches and our japes on the quiz holiday in Rhodes. RIP, Jon”.

Jenny, who’s known as The Vixen on Britain’s The Chase, also  paid tribute to Jacob, posting on Instagram that “I lost one of my quiz brethren to the virus”.