As a new international version of the show launches on ITV, The Dark Destroyer says he'll never go easy on contestants - who pray for a certain TV subject13:45, 06 Jul 2026The Chase's Shaun Wallace has admitted there is no one in the world that he wouldn’t try to beat on the show - including his own mother. And he also claimed that contestants who dissolve into tears just make him more determined to triumph.‌Shaun - AKA The Dark Destroyer - declared: “I’d stop my Mum winning. I love my Mum but I’d stop her. I take great pride in winning on the show.‌“I remember one time they were playing for £100,000 and I caught them with a second left and it was amazing. To see their faces was fantastic. I’m not the welfare! Even when they’re crying, I don’t care. I’m dispassionate. I’m a professional, full stop. I’m there to win. I do my very best to beat contestants. As a quizzer, you want to be the best you can be. So I genuinely do not care when they lose.”‌The one bit of empathy he shows towards the players is that he doesn’t hide from them afterwards. “I am the only Chaser who will go and see the contestants afterwards, whether I win or lose.”As ITV launches The Chase Across the World next week, Anne Hegerty says Shaun is absolutely right to be so ruthless, because that’s what they are there to do. Having said that, her alter-ego The Governess does sometimes does feel a bit guilty. "It says in our contract, ‘I am there to do my best at all times’,” Anne, 68, explained. “There have been times when I’ve thought to myself, ‘I’m going to do my best, because I always do, but there’s a part of me that’s hoping my best won’t be good enough’.”‌Lawyer Shaun, 66, may be brilliant at most tricky questions - but there are some easy subjects that trip him up every time. “Every Achilles has a heel,” he sighed. “I’ve never watched The Simpsons. They asked me the colour of Marge’s hair, I said orange. I didn’t know. The messages I got on Twitter would make you want to quit the show.“They asked me another question on The Simpsons - who is the oldest Simpsons child. It was for £50,000. It took me six seconds to answer. Questions are only easy if you know the answer. We are brilliant quizzers, but we make mistakes.”‌He is thrilled to be involved in the spin-off series but, despite being in the retirement zone, says he has no plans to give up his role at the bar in case the TV show gets axed. "From the day I did the first episode of The Chase, I have never taken it for granted. I don’t care how successful the formula is, the most successful shows have been pulled. So let’s see. The show may be successful, but if it goes tomorrow, I still have a day job.”His legal training has proven useful for him on The Chase. “I can think on my feet and I’m fearless,” he said. “I’ve appeared in the Court of Appeal, I’ve done Old Bailey trials. So answering a question in the final Chase is not going to faze me. What’s served me well is my steadfast dedication to preparation. The more you prepare, the more you’ll be successful. It’s not a chore. We do quizzing because we love it. When we’re doing research, it might look like we’re back at school but we love it. We still have the appetite for information.”‌In the new version, the show has filmed in many different countries and viewers spotted them in locations including Rome, Lisbon and Zurich. Shaun said they were constantly recognised by British fans. “I was with Paul in Lisbon and we had a really good time. There was a stag party. When they recognised us, they went nuts. We said, ‘Don’t post the photos until the show airs’.”Anne, who is single, and Shaun, who has a partner, get on so well that sometimes people mistakenly think they are in a relationship. Shaun said: “Anne and I have done a few shows together, we been in America and Jamaica. People might think we’re a loved up couple. We love and respect each other, so we get on really well and I think that comes across.”- The Chase Around The World starts on July 16 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVXArticle continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.