The Chase favourite Anne 'The Governess' Hegerty has revealed she was the victim of her own Baby Reindeer-style stalker who moved across the country to live in her town. The 67-year-old broadcaster shot to stardom following the launch of the ITV teatime quiz show in 2012 alongside her co-stars Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, and Paul Sinha. Months later, the TV star developed a loyal fanbase on the show, which was fronted by Bradley Walsh.
But one fan took their feelings for the quizzer too far, quickly developing into a stalker. Now, in a new interview with The Sun, the professional quizzer revealed she was forced to "gradually fend off" an over-enthusiastic female admirer.
She told the outlet: "There was a woman who I was being friendly with and got her wires crossed, and the next thing I knew, she packed up her home in London and moved to Manchester to live three streets away.
"I gradually fended her off, and she got the message. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I have to be careful with people whom I befriend." She explained that the obsession began just months after the show hit the airwaves, when "nobody knew who we were."
"I was trying to be nice. But people can overstep, especially if you're not used to having to set boundaries. It was similar to Baby Reindeer, but not as bad. I am still Facebook friends with the woman."
The Netflix drama Baby Reindeer follows a struggling London comedian and bartender who shows kindness to a customer, which sparks a years-long obsession that destroys both their lives. It comes after The Sun on Sunday revealed that ITV had paused filming of The Chase for a year.
At the TRIC awards in London last week, Anne admitted that halting the show would affect her bank account. She told the press: "I won't make money from the daytime Chase for a year.
"But the thing is I've got money in the bank, and I'm doing panto again, so I'll be fine." Anne, who boasts a net worth of a staggering £3.2million, previously explained how the show works for the Chasers backstage.
She revealed: "We're not on a salary. It's not as if they're going to up the budget and add a new salary. A new chaser would just mean the same number of shows shared between more people - so less money for everyone."
