The Chase star reveals surprising item they have splashed £50,000 on after admitting to being ‘richer than ever’
The Chase star reveals a surprising item they have splashed £50,000 on after admitting to being richer than ever after their TV fame.
Their takings last year were in the “six zero territory” – ten times the amount they made before their move into telly.
Shaun Wallace, 64, is best known as the “Dark Destroyer” on The Chase and is one of six chasers on the ITV quiz show.
Away from the cameras, Shaun is also a qualified and practising barrister.
In an interview with The Times he revealed: “I got paid well as a barrister but I’m now earning about ten times the amount I was before.”
“I still practise, though, so I have a dual income. Probably 70 per cent of my income comes from my TV work and 30 per cent from the legal side.”
“Everything changed when I won Mastermind in 2004. Not just my finances, my whole life.”
But what special items does he splash his money on?
He admitted: “I spend about two or three thousand pounds on a pair of shoes and I’ve got a whole wardrobe full of them.”
He thinks he has probably spent about £50,000 on them in total but doesn’t want to disclose the brand because he doesn’t want any freebies.
He insists he’s still the same man he was before finding fame and has no interest in its trappings.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun he disclosed: “Fame hasn’t changed me. Never will do, I control it. It doesn’t control me.”
“That’s how comfortable I am with my life. That’s how comfortable I am with my own skin. That’s how comfortable I am with the way in which I stay in control of my destiny.
He believes God’s given him only one life and he is going to use it to the best of his abilities.
“For me, it’s always about trying to use your fame in an altruistic way. That’s how I enrich myself. Because it enriches others.”
The Chase's best moments
The Chase has been entertaining ITV viewers for years, here are some of the show's most memorable moments...
Bradley Walsh can’t stop laughing
- Every time host Bradley Walsh erupts into fits of laughter on The Chase it makes for pretty entertaining TV. One particularly memorable occasion was when he was asking the question ‘The title of which Elvis Presley song was engraved of the inside of Freddie Star’s coffin?” As usual the contestant was given four multiple choices but Bradley could get through reading them out before bursting into hysterics. Seeming the idea of the song being option ‘B: Way Down’ was too much for the presenter to handle.
The Double Trouble special
- To celebrate 15 years of The Chase on screens, ITV launched a special ‘double trouble’ episode where contestants faced off against not one but two of the show’s beloved Chasers. And despite the odds, the contestants managed to go home with some cash!
The contestants with famous names
- Eagle-eyed ITV fans are always quick to spot interesting and sometimes hidden details on the quiz show – but there have been a few times where the names of some contestants have been overtly obvious. For example, one 2017 episode of the quiz show saw Bradley welcome four contestants who were named after Friends characters Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey. Another group of contestants with named from The Simpsons were also grouped together in another episode, much to viewers’ amusement.
The Beast’s anger gets the best of him
- During an episode from the 2024 season, Mark Labbett let out his inner beast as he exploded in a fit of anger. Close to losing the competition in the Final Chase, Mark then made a silly mistake and incorrectly answered the question, “Rabbit was a 1980 hit for which Cockney duo?” “Oh, you idiot!” he yelled at himself while slamming the table in front of him. With seconds left on the clock, the Chaser then admitted defeat, moaning “I don’t deserve to win.”
“I’m happy with my life,” he says. “I’m very fortunate and grateful to be where I am. But you know, guess what? I’ve got to keep on going.
“Got to keep on inspiring. Got to keep on moving. People put me on a pedestal.
“I don’t like to be put on a pedestal. Because as I say, I’m human like everybody else. I make mistakes.
“And the fall from grace can be swift and unrelenting. And like Humpty Dumpty, I might not be able to be put back together again.”
The need to inspire others has been engrained in Shaun from a young age. Prior to becoming a legal professional he worked as a teacher in Hackney.
He continues to mentor despite his new fame, delivering lectures and talks in schools and colleges to help motivate young people to succeed.
The Chase airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.