The Chase star Anne Hegerty appears alongside fellow chaser Shaun Wallace on ITV's DNA Journey on Tuesday, April 5 - and discovers she's a distant cousin of the Queen. Going back in time, Anne and Shaun discover their long-lost heritage and find relatives who are still alive.
Anne found out that she is connected to royalty in the show and that she is the 19th cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. This was not a total surprise to Anne as her grandmother had previously revealed their royal link but she didn't believe her as The Mirror reports.
On the show she said: "Wow, that is cool. But my grandmother was the most tremendous liar. My aunt said she was a romancer and she'd embroider life a bit, so I always felt that anything from my grandmother had to be taken with a pinch of salt."
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Shaun also revealed that in the episode they call her "Queen Anne" after finding out about her Royal family links. He said: "Without spoiling anything, we call her 'Queen Anne', because obviously she's the queen of quizzing, but we have to really bow and curtsy to her now!"
The 63-year-old also discovered that one of her relatives survived two German torpedo attacks in World War One, as the Liverpool Echo reports, and they had to cling to an upturned lifeboat for four hours before being rescued. Anne said: "He clung onto an upturned lifeboat for four hours. I came away feeling really impressed by that level of endurance. I also handled the skull of an ancestor. I can't tell you anymore, but it was a proud moment."
During the show Anne and Shaun travelled to Jamaica to learn more about Shaun's heritage, where Anne embraced Shaun's culture and history. Shaun said: "It was also the first time Anne had been to Jamaica, and that was great because she was basically coming to my territory and she really embraced it. She loved the food and the culture; it was a special time."
DNA Journey with Anne and Shaun will be aired on Tuesday, April, 5 at 9 pm on ITV.
