The Chase star Jenny Ryan reveals she has had throat surgery as she shows off her large scar and gives a health update

The Chase star Jenny Ryan has revealed she has undergone throat surgery as she showed off her large scar and gave a health update on Instagram on Friday. 

The star, 44, shared a series of photos as she explained she had the procedure at University College Hospital in London after her 'thyroid gland got so big it started causing problems'. 

Jenny explained that she is sharing the health update due to the scar being on her neck and insisted she is 'healing nicely and her voice still works'.

She wrote: 'Hello my lovelies. You might notice my new scar. You'd be hard pushed to not spot it, given it's right on the front of my neck.

'As much as I'd like to have an exciting and glamorous reason (old timey duel, Olympic fencing practice, near miss with guillotine) the reality is not so sexy. 

'My thyroid gland made a bid for fame and got so big it started causing some problems so we* chopped it out.'

She continued: 'I'm fine. Surgery was all good and the consultant is very happy. My voice still works and it's healing nicely.

'I had to stay quite still for a couple of weeks in case my head fell off** but we are grand now. Thanks to the head and neck gang and all the terrific people who looked after me at UCH. The NHS is beyond wonderful.'

Several fans were quick to take to the comments to wish the quizzer a speedy recovery, they wrote: 'Sounds painful! Heal well Lovely; Nothing wrong with being dramatic Jenny! Hope you feel better soon;

'Hope you’re feeling better soon, darling!; Wishing you a speedy recovery Jenny. X'.

Jenny has starred as The Vixen on The Chase for nearly 11 years but prior to being on-screen she was deeply involved in the behind the scenes of the show, writing questions since the pilot in 2009. 

The update comes ahead of new spin-off show The Chase Around The World which will see host Bradley Walsh and The Chasers escape the studio and challenge contestants to the smartest road trip, where the more you know, the further you go. 

In the six-part series, six pairs set off on an epic chase around the world's most incredible cities starting in Rome. 

The Beast and The Governess set a series of quiz questions, puzzles and cryptic clues that the teams must solve in order to navigate their way across the city and find Bradley at the finish line.

Their route could take them to some of Rome’s iconic landmarks, such as the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps. 

The teams must answer questions correctly to complete the course but they better be correct as wrong answers have serious consequences, costing them time and taking them off-course.

Competition is fierce as the team that finishes last in each city will face a head-to-head showdown with the Chasers themselves. 

In Rome, the Beast and The Governess await. The final pair will need to beat them to stay in the competition. Lose, and it’s the first flight home.

 Discussing the new series, Bradley said: 'It was very different doing it on location, in these incredible places, instead of being in a studio. I’ve been locked in Elstree Studios for 17 years.

'The locations were unbelievable. I loved it, I really did, but then again, I wasn't chasing around, literally chasing around, the cities we were in.

'The competition really heated up, you could see the contestants thinking, "Right, this is what we’ve got to do. This is how to play this game." There were times when some were over-taking others, some were slipping back.'