'The Chase's Anne Hegerty admits struggle with sex and intimacy due to autism

The Chase star Anne Hegerty has confessed she struggles with intimacy and “zones out” during sex.

The 61-year-old gameshow quizzer - who was diagnosed with autism in her mid 40s - has opened up about how being on the spectrum affects her dating life.

Hegerty told OK! magazine: “What I have found is that I do fall in love but it tends to not be with people I meet in real life. I fall in love with historical or fictional characters. People I can put a bit of distance between.

“I get overwhelmed in the presence of actual people and everything shuts down. I’ve found that with sex, too. It’s like I can’t be fully in it. That much intimacy, I almost zone out.”

Read more: Anne Hegerty says she'd be 'muddling along on benefits' if it weren't for The Chase

The Governess - who has previously admitted she is loving life in lockdown as she enjoys her own company - revealed she has used the time to tackle her hoarding problem.

She said: “I’ve had so much time to get things sorted and I’ve been cooking proper food! People have thought I must be struggling during this time because people with autism like routine and structure, but for so many years I found it hard to develop a routine with my job. Every day can be different and filming can require me to be out and about. With this, I can finally impose my own routine.”

Read more: The Chase's Anne Hegerty says she could quit TV over hectic schedule

Hegerty - who competed in I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2018 has previously spoken about being diagnosed with Asperger's, statingshe wasn't "looking" to be "the face of autism".

A former journalist turned professional quizzer, she joined ITV gameshow The Chase in 2010 as chaser The Governess and has appeared on every series since.