ITV quiz star Anne Hegerty can’t believe her transformation from an outcast to having superstar fans.
She became a household name as The Governess on The Chase.
And her famous fans include Frozen actor Josh Gad and pop stars Robbie Williams and Chaka Khan.
But the formidable quizzer, 64, spent a lifetime feeling left out before finding fame.
READ MORE: The Chase star would ‘hate’ Strictly and brands it an ‘awful and ‘miserable’ experience
Anne, who has Asperger’s syndrome, said: “It’s a really nice feeling to be popular and it is nice to be connected with something that is popular.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“For most of my life that wasn’t the case. I was always a bit of an outsider. I didn’t know how to make friends and preferred to be on my own with a book.
“I was never the person everyone wanted to be around so it has turned out to be a lovely surprise.”
She added: “I had an idea The Chase would make me famous but never imagined it would make me popular.
“Some people find me scary but I like to think I am much more approachable than The Governess.” Anne joined The Chase in 2010 for its second series.
(Image: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images)
She has gone on to become a firm fan favourite – and not just with your average viewer at home.
Anne said: “We have lots of celebrity fans. Josh Gad, who is the voice of Olaf in Frozen, is a big fan.
“Chaka Khan watches it whenever she’s in Britain. She can never remember my name and refers to me as the ‘big woman’. Robbie Williams watches too and I’ve been told Sean Bean and Ricky Gervais are fans.”
The show, which is presented by Bradley Walsh, is going from strength to strength and regularly pulls in more than five million viewers – and spin-off series Beat The Chaser recently won a National TV Award.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Not surprisingly, Anne has no plans to leave any time soon. She said: “I love The Chase more than ever. This is my favourite job.
“It is still a great show and I’m still extremely positive about it. I hope we have many more years left.”
Anne appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2018 but has no thoughts about taking part in other reality TV shows in the future.
She said: “I feel like I’ve done the big one that everyone remembers.
“The other one would be Strictly but I have zero talent for dance. Plus it would be six months out of my life.
(Image: ITV)
“It would be appalling hard work doing something I’m just not interested in, so I can’t see that happening.”
Anne has also been approached to film documentaries about autistic spectrum disorders like hers, but she said: “I don’t want to be the poster girl for autism.
“It’s not something I want to identify myself with too closely.”
● Anne has just released a remake of Michael Jackson’s Thriller with S Club 7 star Jo O’Meara. The charity single is raising cash for Great Ormond Street Hospital charity GOSH.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
