Anne’s former profession set her up pretty well for a career in quizzing.

I was a newspaper journalist and then later, a proofreader. When you spend 20 years reading mostly academic textbooks, you find that you’ve learned an enormous number of facts without realising it.

Anne’s first TV quizzing experience was on ‘Mastermind’ in the 80s.

I got interested in a songwriter called Lawrence Hart and knew enough about him for a specialist subject, so I applied! I lost the game by one point, and everyone always says, “Ooh, that must be awful”, but I didn’t expect to get through and it was just nice to have done it. At the end of the second round, one other contestant and I both had about 30 points, but I’d had a pass, and he hadn’t, so that was why he beat me. But it was good!

Time to meet Anne Hegerty

It takes more than a big black chair to intimidate Anne!

It’s a great deal less frightening than it looks. All the thumpy music and the darkness and the light shining – you can ignore all that. In fact, it helps you focus because you can’t see the audience. All you can see is this nice man, the one you’ve already been chatting with. And obviously you had your specialist subject down pretty well - so I didn’t find it terrifying at all.

This appearance on Mastermind was the starting point for her journey to life as a Chaser.

I’ve been member of the Mastermind club since I took part in the show, and we used to have meetings once a month in a pub in Manchester. One month a couple of people from Mensa came along and they revealed that there was a high-level quizzing circuit in the UK. I discovered there was going to be a quiz the following month near Liverpool, and I thought “Well I can get to that…”

Little did she know that the BBC would also be there…

They were trying to find a new Egghead for the second series of ‘Are You an Egghead?’. So I auditioned, and I got onto the show! I ended up coming third out of the whole series. Having not won, I just thought “Oh well, that’s that”. But the quizzing community is quite small and incestuous, and everyone on the circuit knew how well I’d done - including people who knew about this ITV show coming along called ‘The Chase’. People started talking about me as a potential Chaser, and within a few months I’d got the job!

She finds it hard to pick a favourite celebrity guest.

I have a particular fondness for Keith Allen because I made him laugh so much I thought he was going to wee himself! Jonathan Ross was a memorable one because he clambered up the board! All the floor crew had their hearts in their mouths in case he broke it and halted all filming! It’s always good to have Sean Williamson on (Barry from Eastenders) because he’s a genuine quizzer - and he’s pretty good. I’d love to see Stephen Fry on it as he’s so smart.

She doesn’t think she’s too similar to her character, ‘The Governess’.

I based her on a grandmother and an aunt whom I disliked. She’s a character that I can trot out and channel when I need her. I don’t think she’s much like the real me – though I might be more like her than I think I am! Originally, I was going to be called ‘The Headmistress’ and then during rehearsals Bradley started calling me ‘The Governess’ and I asked the producers to change. A headmistress has got the Board of Governors breathing down her neck, but a governess can do what she wants!

Do you find it hard to maintain that serious character during filming?

I’m now pretty good at not cracking up. I’ve got used to it. I do like to deliver a funny line and just see the look on their faces. Bradley is a very generous performer. He loves it when we’re funny and he isn’t just carrying the whole thing. He’s very much like what you see on screen - a lovely bloke. We all love him.

I’m a Celebrity

National Television Awards 2016

Anne has taken part in Brain of Britain and Catchphrase – but a couple of big quizzes have got away…

I’ve never officially done ‘University Challenge’ - I was a reserve in 1978. The Chartered Institute of Editors and Proof Readers tried to get a team on ‘The Professionals’ version, but I think University Challenge has always felt it isn’t a real job. So that’d be fun. It would have been nice to go on ‘Only Connect’ but by the time other quizzes were aware of my existence I was being courted by ‘The Chase’ and I couldn’t really do other quiz shows. I was only allowed to do ‘Catchphrase’ because it was the ‘Celebrity’ one. Word and number puzzles aren’t my thing, but I did like being in Dictionary Corner on ‘Countdown’.

She describes her time on ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ as ‘awful’ and ‘ghastly’.

I’m very glad that I didn’t run away - it was only because my campmates were such lovely people that I stayed. ‘Enjoyed’ is the wrong word but I was quite proud of the ‘Hellish Hospital’ trial. There was this skeleton lying on a bed with two giant snakes curled up inside it. I’m not actually scared of snakes (unless they’re venomous), so I just said, “Excuse me, lads”, and just picked up the snake and there was the star underneath it!

Anne’s appeared in a number of pantos and can now add more serious acting to her repertoire.

Last year I was involved in a short film called ‘Exorcising Barry’ – about a fake priest who’s been hired to stage an exorcism. I was the nosy neighbour who keeps popping up over the fence. We had a screening and it’s now gone out to the film festivals - the people who produced it have won awards at film festivals before, so we are hopeful. They’re making a full-length feature film this year, which I’ll be in. I can’t say too much about it yet but it’s a horror – filming starts this summer…

And while we're on the topic of interviews, we also caught up with tennis ace, sports presenter and ‘Strictly’ superstar Annabel Croft about her incredible career, from Grand Slams to grand ballrooms! Catch the full interview here.