The Chase Star Shaun Wallace Opens Up About the Heartbreaking Loss of His Father and His Parents’ Health Struggles

Shaun Wallace, best known to millions as The Dark Destroyer on ITV’s hit quiz show The Chase, has previously spoken candidly about the devastating loss of his father and the health battles that have affected his family.

Wallace, 64, became a household name when he joined The Chase in 2009 as one of the original Chasers. With his sharp intellect, commanding presence, and dry wit, he quickly won the admiration of viewers and became a cornerstone of the long-running quiz series. But behind his calm and confident on-screen persona, Wallace has endured deep personal heartache.

In 2014, the barrister and quiz champion tragically lost his father to motor neurone disease (MND). Speaking about that painful time, Shaun revealed that he was actually in the middle of filming The Chase when he received the devastating news that his father’s condition had taken a turn for the worse.

“My father had motor neurone disease in his final year. I was filming The Chase when I heard he was dying,” Shaun recalled in an interview with Express.co.uk. “I rushed to the hospice for the last ten minutes. After he died, aged 85, I spent 20 minutes in the room with him. I said my piece, I kissed him, and I said my goodbyes.”

The quiz star went on to describe how Father’s Day has taken on a deeply personal meaning for him ever since. “On Father’s Day, I’ll lay flowers, say a few words, and remember everything he did for me,” he said.

In addition to losing his father, Wallace has also had to watch his mother struggle with her own health challenges. During ITV’s The Chasers’ Road Trip: Trains, Brains and Automobiles, Shaun opened up about how both his parents had battled illness — his mother with dementia and diabetes, and his father with MND.

“My mum suffers from dementia,” he shared. “My dad sadly died from motor neurone disease and it really saddened me to see them physically degenerate. Whilst I know I can’t delay the inevitable, I know I can postpone it by keeping myself physically and mentally sharp.” (Source: ITV / The Mirror)

Wallace, who has worked as both a barrister and a quiz master, said these experiences profoundly changed the way he views his own health. Determined to stay strong and independent well into his later years, Shaun has developed a strict daily fitness regimen.

Speaking on the How To Be 60 podcast in 2024, Wallace described his dedication to exercise as both a personal discipline and a tribute to his parents’ struggles.

“No matter what time of day, no matter how cold, the first thing I do is my stomach crunches,” he explained. “Then I go over to the park — we’ve got a little outdoor mini gym there. I just finished a 5000-metre row, which I had to do in under 22 minutes.”

When co-host Karen MacKenzie suggested that his routine sounded “obsessive,” Shaun laughed and replied: “No, for me, it’s about making an investment in my own health because my mother and father both had diabetes in their forties and fifties, and it was debilitating, especially for my mum. I vowed I would take care of my health as long as I could.” (Source: BBC / How To Be 60 Podcast)

The former Mastermind champion believes mental sharpness is just as important as physical health. “You also need to keep your mind healthy by constantly learning,” he said. “No one knows everything, so always reading and learning is crucial.”

More than a decade after his father’s passing, Shaun continues to honour his memory not just with words, but through his actions — maintaining both body and mind with the same determination that has made him one of Britain’s most respected quiz icons.

As Wallace once reflected in an interview with The Guardian, “Life is about using your experiences — both good and bad — to make yourself stronger. That’s what my parents taught me, and that’s what I live by every single day.”