Yahoo News ITV The Chase's Darragh Ennis quits 'real job' as phone call changed life forever
The Chase's Darragh Ennis was blown away by his welcome in Liverpool this week. The 44-year-old quizzer arrived in the city on Tuesday for a special book signing at Waterstones Liverpool ONE to mark the release of The Body: 10 Things You Should Know.
Although The Menace hails from Ireland, he was touched by the turnout in the city centre as queues of fans extended out of the door, awaiting their chance to meet the Chaser. Darragh spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview at the event and said the response was another example of why he always feels at home in Liverpool.
He told the ECHO: "Not only am I a fan of Liverpool Football Club, but I just love coming here. It's a really good place to go out. Four or five times more people came to this book signing than both my book signings in Ireland, which is where I'm from, so it's a bit of a home away from home in that respect."
Darragh's Merseyside connection was sparked as a young child when he fell in love with Liverpool FC's Irish heartbeat of the late 1980s, which included Ray Houghton, Ronnie Whelan and John Aldridge. The Menace had to wait a few more years before he saw the Reds live at Anfield for the first time when he made his maiden visit to Merseyside in the 1990s.
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Darragh said the wait was worth it as he considers watching Roy Evans' side triumph over Middlesbrough as one of his most treasured memories, adding: "We were just kids and got the ferry over, then the bus.
"We did it so cheap and were in the stadium for about three hours before kick off and it was just so exciting. That always stands out." However, Darragh explained his kinship with Liverpool is a lot more deep-rooted than his love for the red half of Merseyside.
He said: "It's just how friendly everybody is. It's like being in Ireland again. There's a big population of Irish descent in Liverpool so I think culturally we're just very similar and that means you can click very easily without trying.
"When you try it becomes a bit forced, whereas here, you can just be yourself. In a lot of big cities, people are a bit standoffish and you can feel a bit isolated. But here, even before I was on TV, you can talk to random people and they don't think that you're crazy.
"I made friends with people just because we happened to be sitting at the same table in a pub and then we are good friends now and that doesn't happen everywhere so it's that friendly open nature that I love."
Darragh has channelled his background in science for his new book, which provides a fun look at the human body and how it works. He said: "I really like writing science for people who aren't scientists and this book was perfect for that. It was really good fun and something I enjoyed doing."
The Chaser previously juggled his academic career with his role as a quizzer on the ITV teatime show as he worked as a lab manager and researcher. However, he told the ECHO how he has now left, what he described as, his "real job" behind as he hopes to explore more opportunities that come after his success on The Chase.
He said: "I was a lab manager and a researcher, but I give that up. The lab that I worked in moved from Oxford to Glasgow and I just didn't go with them. It was a part time job and it was a very hard job to do part time so I've given it up.
"It might surprise you, but scientists are not that well paid. It was very hard to justify the time when I've got so many other things going on." Darragh is now excited for the future as he shoots the next season of the Chase in February and has just launched a new podcast, A Normal Meets A Nerd, with Scouse TikTok star, Dylan Evans.
Darragh owes his career pivot to his incredible popularity on The Chase, which he first appeared on as a contestant in 2017. He is the only person to ever make the transition from contestant to Chaser and he said his confidence in front of the camera was the thing that mainly impressed show bosses.
He said: "I did well on the quiz, but a lot of people do. I don't get stage fright. I don't get rattled by cameras or anything and a lot of people do. That can subtract a bit from how well their personality comes across.
"So, because I had that advantage, maybe they just saw something and thought 'this fella is very relaxed on camera', which is a big part of the job. It's not just about knowing stuff. It's about being calm enough in the moment to recall everything quickly so I think just a combination of those things."
Days after his first appearance, Darragh received a phone call from show bosses with a proposition about whether he would be interested in becoming the newest Chaser. However, The Menace revealed he almost hung up when he thought it must have been a prank from his childhood friends.
He said: "My mates at home, Rathcoole lads, love playing tricks and pranks so that would have been right up their alley. But the producers knew too much.
"I was very surprised, but I was super excited about it. I just thought this is a really great opportunity. I'm going to absolutely smash this. When I actually got the job and I was walking out on camera, my main notes from my first episode were stop looking like you're enjoying yourself so much."
Darragh hasn't looked back since as he has taken everything in his stride with his life in the limelight and hopes to one day front his own science show for adults. However, he said the best thing about being on the TV is the human side and the positive impact you can make on people.
He said: "I was with my mother and we were going to hospital to visit my dad and someone stopped me. They were having a miserable day and their wife was really sick. They saw me and it genuinely made this man's day.
"He got a photograph, told me how much he loved the show. He walked towards us miserably and he walked away smiling. My mother pointed out, 'You may not realise it but you have made that man's day from a horrible point to a good point.' And that is by far the best bit."
Although he's recognised on the street and is looking to build on his career in entertainment, Darragh's life at home with his family in Oxford hasn't changed much and he said he wouldn't have it any other way as he looks forward to the next chapter of his incredible story.
He said: "My work has changed and I do interviews like this now, but my day to day life is exactly the same. I still bring the kids to school, still cook dinner, I still have to wash clothes, walk the dog. People think I live this mad Champagne lifestyle and I really don't.
"I have a wonderful wife, two great children, Liverpool are winning matches, I'm genuinely quite happy. It's great." The Body: 10 Things You Should Know is available now. You can find out more information on how to purchase it here You can find more information on new podcast, A Normal Meets a Nerd, here
