The Chase star Shaun Wallace has addressed rumours that he has been ‘sacked’ from the ITV game show.

Also known as the Dark Destroyer, Shaun, 64, revealed the real reason why he is sometimes absent from the show.

The 2004 Mastermind champion, who is a successful barrister when he isn’t on the quiz show, explained his on-off absences are due to his legal commitments.

Speaking on The Hearing – A Legal Podcast, Shaun said: ‘If I’ve got a long trial, then that will take precedence over my filming, and the Chase know that. But I’ve then got to make up my other episodes later on in the series.

‘So when people see me… not seen me on TV for a long… “Has he been sacked?” No, just back to my legal career.

The Chase star Shaun Wallace, 64, has addressed rumours that he has been ‘sacked’ from the ITV game show (pictured in 2018)

Also known as the Dark Destroyer, Shaun revealed the real reason why he is sometimes absent from the show

Shaun, who has been in the legal profession for more than three decades, does however acknowledge his TV role ‘could all end tomorrow’, he told New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.

It comes after Shaun’s co-star Anne Hegerty, a Chaser since series two, admitted she is ‘worried’ about the future of the quiz show as ITV makes budget cuts.

Anne told The Star: ‘We have plans for next year and we are doing fewer shows. All the streaming services are carrying adverts now.

‘So, channels like ITV are having to compete for advertising money. It means there is less money from adverts. Every aspect of the media is feeling the pinch right now.’

‘Obviously, one is always a little bit worried and one is always glad to hear there will be more episodes.’

Anne added that she doesn’t want to ‘imagine life without’ The Chase, which she has been a part of since 2010.

The Chase fans vowed to ‘switch off’ just minutes into Monday’s show after a Chaser admitted they’re ‘worried’ for the series amid ITV budget cuts. 

Monday’s episode saw Lily, a sociology student at university, struggle against Paul Sinha – statistically the programme’s strongest Chaser.

The 2004 Mastermind champion, who is a successful barrister when he isn’t on the quiz show, explained his on-off absences are due to his legal commitments

Shaun, who has been in the legal profession for more than three decades, does however acknowledge his TV role ‘could all end tomorrow’

It comes after Shaun’s co-star Anne Hegerty, a Chaser since series two, admitted she is ‘worried’ about the future of the quiz show as ITV makes budget cuts

Lily, 20, struggled to get just three correct questions in the cash builder and, after going head-to-head with Paul, 54, at the table, was quickly eliminated – managing only one correct answer.

Viewers were irritated by Lily’s poor performance on The Chase, hosted by Bradley Walsh, and headed to X, formerly Twitter, to vent.

They wrote in scathing tweets: ‘Really, I can’t stand it when they don’t have a clue on the Chase. I’m switching off’.