From childhood struggles to quiz stardom: Anne Hegerty’s inspiring journey

Beloved quizmaster Anne Hegerty has revealed the challenges she faced in her journey to success, shedding light on her tough childhood and the obstacles she overcame to become the confident personality she is today.

In a heartfelt interview with 7News Spotlight, Hegerty didn’t mince words when reflecting on her early years, admitting, “I didn’t really have a particularly good childhood. The music was better, but there’s not much else that was better when I was a kid, to be honest.”

Raised in an environment where encouragement was scarce, she recalled feeling a sense of inadequacy, with little belief in her own abilities

“I just grew up feeling like I couldn’t really do anything. My mother never told me I could accomplish anything,” she recalled.

“My dad (was) a complete incompetent in all walks of life. So I did grow up thinking, ‘I’m not really sure I can do things, I’m not sure I can learn to do anything’.”

After struggling both at home and with school, Hegerty’s life eventually took a significant turn when, at the age of 45, she was diagnosed with autism.

This diagnosis proved to be a pivotal moment, offering her an explanation for the difficulties she had faced and a newfound understanding of herself.

With a deeper understanding of herself, she was able to implement effective strategies to navigate challenges and embrace her strengths.

This pivotal moment became the catalyst for positive change, paving the way for a brighter and more fulfilling future.

“I’m really quite an optimist. My feeling is that life gets better and better,” she said.

“There are so many people my age who sort of look back nostalgically to earlier times and say ‘Life was so much better in the good old days.’ And I look at them and think, ‘No, no, no. You think it was better because your joints didn’t ache and everyone wanted to have sex with you’.”

Her fortunes changed once again when she landed a role on the popular quiz show, The Chase.

“There’s one thing I can do and it turns out people like watching me do it and would even pay me to do it and that gives you a bit more confidence,” she explained.

“A lot of people are terrifically excited, you know, that there’s a famous autistic person out there, talking 19 to the dozen, holding down a pretty damn well paid job, doing OK and going to parties and so on.

“I think it makes people happy seeing I’m coping, as it were.”

Already cherished by her devoted legion of fans, Hegerty’s recent insights are sure to strengthen the bond between her and her audience, further solidifying her place as a beloved figure in the hearts of quiz aficionados.