Darragh Ennis became a Chaser after an unfortunate game as a contestant.
The quiz brain is a clear fan favourite and usually the dream opponent for players taking on the challenge. His cheery demeanour and pleasant attitude in the face of a wobbly opponent is what sets him apart from the other Chasers.
Chaser Anne Hegerty is known for making her way to the top after decades of appearing on quiz shows. The trivia monster was always the one to beat with ITV offering her a spot on the show from day one.
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It's something of a die-hard fan secret to know Darragh had a similar start specifically taking on The Chase as a contestant years ago. That's right, before he was sat at the top of the board, Darragh "The Menace" Ennis was a casual player who had a difficult and unusual experience.
In the cash builder round, Darragh impressively banked £9,000 which he took back to his team. But sadly, even though he made it to the final round, the team lost out in the final Chase. And, although Darragh brought back a tremendous amount of money, sadly they only had £6,300 at the end of the game.
His teammates lost £2,700 of the money after going for lower offers which enraged viewers and even sparked a Twitter hashtag #JusticeforDarragh. Some dedicated fans took it even further by setting up a GoFundMe page on his behalf. The description of the page read: "We need to get Darragh his 9,000 which he lost on The Chase."
Darragh requested the money raised be donated to charity and spoke out in defence of his team mates saying: "It's a lot easier on the couch #thechase #comeandhaveagoifyouthinkyouarecleverenough."
He added: "#thechase Thanks for all the support but I would appreciate it if people eased off my teammates. It's hard in front of the cameras."
Three years on from the drama, Darragh received an invitation from ITV to join the quiz heads after what they described as an incredible performance as a contestant. A show source said: "Darragh has got what it takes to be a Chaser. He has been put to the test and passed with flying colours.
"They don't bring in new members on The Chase regularly so this is a big deal for the show and Darragh. Viewers will be very interested to see how he gets on."
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