big bucks
I’m a professional quizzer on The Chase – now I’m a millionaire from quiz series and my side hustle, reveals ITV star
Despite their longevity, the star doesn't take their position on The Chase for granted
SHAUN Wallace has opened up on his healthy finances and revealed he's a millionaire thanks to his pivot into TV.
Shaun, 64, is best known as the "Dark Destroyer" on The Chase and is one of six braniacs on the ITV quiz show.
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Away from the cameras, Shaun is also a qualified and practising barrister.
He told how his takings last year were in the "six zero territory" - ten times the amount he made before his move into telly.
The star's earnings can come from his legal work, The Chase and other presenting work with ITV.
Asked what he was paid last year, Shaun revealed: "A lot. That’s all I’ll say.
Read more on The Chase
";How many zeros? Well into six-zero territory and my earnings have increased massively since I’ve started working in TV.
"I got paid well as a barrister but I’m now earning about ten times the amount I was before.
"I still practise, though, so I have a dual income.
"Probably 70 per cent of my income comes from my TV work and 30 per cent from the legal side."
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Meanwhile, Shaun knows how to spend his cash in style - having enjoyed trips to sunny Jamaica when not in the TV studio or courtroom.
Alongside Mark Labbett (The Beast), Shaun was one of the original Chasers when the show launched in 2009.
The Chase viewers brand ITV show a 'fix' as Shaun Wallace has a nightmare round - but would you have got the answer right?
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the star previously revealed how despite his longevity, he doesn't take his position on The Chase for granted.
Shaun shared: "There never has been a timeline because you know why?
"You could be the most successful show in the world. Guess what? It can go tomorrow.
"I'm only as good as my last closing speech as a lawyer. I'm only as good as a Chaser in relation to the last question I answered correctly.
"I never take anything for granted.
The Chase's best moments
The Chase has been entertaining ITV viewers for years, here are some of the show's most memorable moments...
Bradley Walsh can't stop laughing
- Every time host Bradley Walsh erupts into fits of laughter on The Chase it makes for pretty entertaining TV. One particularly memorable occasion was when he was asking the question 'The title of which Elvis Presley song was engraved of the inside of Freddie Star's coffin?" As usual the contestant was given four multiple choices but Bradley could get through reading them out before bursting into hysterics. Seeming the idea of the song being option 'B: Way Down' was too much for the presenter to handle.
The Double Trouble special
- To celebrate 15 years of The Chase on screens, ITV launched a special 'double trouble' episode where contestants faced off against not one but two of the show's beloved Chasers. And despite the odds, the contestants managed to go home with some cash!
The contestants with famous names
- Eagle-eyed ITV fans are always quick to spot interesting and sometimes hidden details on the quiz show - but there have been a few times where the names of some contestants have been overtly obvious. For example, one 2017 episode of the quiz show saw Bradley welcome four contestants who were named after Friends characters Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey. Another group of contestants with named from The Simpsons were also grouped together in another episode, much to viewers' amusement.
The Beast's anger gets the best of him
- During an episode from the 2024 season, Mark Labbett let out his inner beast as he exploded in a fit of anger. Close to losing the competition in the Final Chase, Mark then made a silly mistake and incorrectly answered the question, “Rabbit was a 1980 hit for which Cockney duo?” “Oh, you idiot!” he yelled at himself while slamming the table in front of him. With seconds left on the clock, the Chaser then admitted defeat, moaning "I don't deserve to win."
"I'm the world's first chaser so I'm comfortable.
"And you know what, I don't look nervously over my shoulder in relation to how the producers think because if they don't think I'm good enough, then guess what?
"I'm not bigger than the show. End of story."
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The Chasers are respectively paid for each episode that they appear in.
In 2022, it was revealed that Shaun's co-star Anne Hegerty, aka The Governess, had earned nearly £550k from defeating contestants on the show.
Presenter Bradley Walsh has also made a tidy sum from his years on The Chase - and landed a huge new deal last month.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
It was revealed Bradley had secured a pay rise after reportedly previously being on £3.5million.
The Chase airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
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