The Chase star Shaun Wallace has opened up about the “extreme bad habits” he gave up before losing more than three stone.
The TV quizzer, 65, best known as the “Dark Destroyer” on the ITV show, revealed he once smoked up to 30 cigarettes a day and regularly added multiple sugars to his drinks before dramatically changing his lifestyle.
Wallace said his approach to habits has often been all-or-nothing, describing how he would swing between excess and complete abstinence.
“I’ve always got bad habits, and extreme bad habits too,” he told The Sun. “I used to have eight sugars in my coffee and in my tea. Then I stopped completely. And cigarettes too — I used to smoke 20 to 30 cigarettes a day. Then I just stopped.”
The barrister and TV personality has since lost around 3.5 stone, crediting a structured diet plan for helping him take control of his health.
He explained that his tendency towards extremes has shaped his lifestyle over the years, adding: “One minute I’m obsessed and the next minute I’m completely the other way.”
Wallace’s transformation comes as he returns to filming after a recent knee replacement operation, which temporarily paused his work on The Chase.
Despite the setback, he has been training daily in a bid to regain fitness and resume filming, with the star expected back in the studio this week.
The long-running ITV quiz show, which first aired in 2009, has made Wallace one of its most recognisable faces, with the quizzer proudly noting he was the first Chaser ever cast.
He has also spoken about the camaraderie among the show’s line-up, praising fellow Chaser Mark Labbett for his own significant weight loss.
Wallace said he was “really glad” to see his colleague take control of his health, particularly after previously facing issues linked to diabetes.
Labbett, known as “The Beast”, has shed around 10 stone in recent years, with both men’s transformations drawing praise from fans.
Looking ahead, Wallace is preparing for a new spin-off series, Chase Around The World, which is set to begin filming in May.
The upcoming show will see contestants travel across the globe attempting to track down the Chasers in a new twist on the popular quiz format.
