Dubbed the Bolton Brainiac by host Bradley Walsh, Chaser Jenny Ryan’s encyclopaedic knowledge is certainly fearsome. She regularly runs rings round contestants, but there the fearsomeness ends as she always wants to give encouraging feedback.
Jenny (39), who has been a contestant herself on quiz shows such as University Challenge and Mastermind, says: "It’s a great thing to do, to put yourself out there on The Chase but contestants are under massive public scrutiny too, and that’s brave, so I have to be kind. I've been there on the other side.
"I don’t think it’s difficult to put yourself in someone’s position. It’s something always to have in mind; how are they feeling, when they are facing you on The Chase set? It’s an intimidating position to be in, it’s been constructed to be scary to the contestants."
Since she started as a series regular in 2015, Jenny has become a firm fan favourite, and loves working with her fellow Chasers who she counts as close friends.
"We’re like one big, dysfunctional family! We’ve known each other for years through the quiz circuit. Darragh is our new boy, but he’s slotted in really well.
"Being a Chaser is something that no one else understands so we have to be there for each other. We’ve got a Whatsapp group but you don’t want to know what goes on in that!"
One of the things Jenny loves about being on the show is that it brings people together. “I was talking to somebody I know who lives with his mum who’s got dementia. They watch the show together and it’s part of their routine. She engages with it. It’s something grandparents watch with toddlers, too. I get sent videos of babies watching the show; their faces light up when the music starts!”
Fellow Chaser Anne Hegerty (The Governess) was instrumental in Jenny getting her break on the show. Anne suggested Jenny to producers as the two ladies knew each other from the quizzing circuit.
Jenny had already had TV experience, having appeared in University Challenge when she was studying at Leeds University, helping her team reach the semi-finals in 2003, and then was on Mastermind’s famous black chair in 2006.
An only child, Jenny grew up with her mum Julia and her maternal grandparents in Bolton with some of her mum’s four siblings.
"My mum had me in her early 20s. Everyone mucked in. I think it made me who I am. I learnt very early on to have conversations with everybody from teenagers to my great auntie or the old lady next door."
Her family are all general knowledge nerds, Jenny says. "Basically, I went on University Challenge to honour my granddad Kevin’s memory as he taught me how to quiz. It was one of his favourite shows. He watched it every week."
She is wistful that her grandfather is not alive today to see her success.
"Granddad died when I was ten but I know he would have been so proud of me. I’m sad he’s missed it all. He was such a mentor to me and taught such a good lesson – nobody knows everything, but you can find it out. Even an obscure piece of knowledge, if you find the right book or person to ask. The world isn’t a big mystery that you will never know about, it’s a big adventure which you can work out by yourself. He gave me that skill."
Jenny’s mum worked as a full-time nurse when she was growing up. "She was also studying for a degree and Masters, so my granddad looked after me a lot before I went to school. He taught me reading and writing, but he also taught me quizzes! He was such a generous person with his time and his emotions. That made me aware of making time for other people."
But it’s not only quizzing that Jenny is good at – she is also a talented singer, reaching the final of The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019. Initially voted off, she was brought back by public demand. "I didn’t get through the auditions for the show in Malibu and there was an outcry – it was wild. But I got to go to Simon Cowell’s house in California which felt like being a bit of a winner anyway," she laughs.
"I’ve always enjoyed singing but just did it at an amateur level. I learnt to play the ukulele so I could accompany myself but it’s been interesting the last few years, learning people actually do really enjoy hearing me sing and I’ve got very good feedback from it. It’s been a bit of a revelation."
She loves the festive season. "Christmas is all about family. All the Ryans are getting together – lots of cousins of various ages. We play daft games, eat lots of food and enjoy each other’s company. There’s something so special about Christmas."
• The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV, catch up on ITV Hub. Watch out too for a Christmas special