I went to a quiz night with The Chase's Shaun Wallace and he was totally different from the show

What I thought would be a quiet quiz night resulted in meeting an ITV legend.

The Baltic Triangle's new entertainment facility BOXPARK opened last week with a noisy festival programme. Now the dust has settled, regular theme nights occupy the evenings which include live music and a weekly quiz. It wasn't until a friend invited me to the latter that I even discovered they took place but I was excited for an impromptu night out regardless.

The invitation appeared to be grabbing a few pints for a catch-up while we tackled a quiz. It was fairly straightforward and without much to question. I agreed but did give pause as to why I would need a ticket to attend. Aren't all quizzes usually free? Regardless, he purchased me a ticket and I made my way to BOXPARK for the evening.

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BOXPARK is an event space far removed from your typical pub. I expected Bongo's Bingo level of entertainment but it was generally subdued when we arrived. Loud music played throughout the hall but it was lively and not overbearing. We registered for the quiz via the app and got ready to play. What I wasn't expecting was a voiceover introducing the one and only star of ITV's The Chase, Shaun Wallace.

The Dark Destroyer made his way to the stage with a headset microphone strapped to his face, donning a relaxed t-shirt and jeans combo instead of his usual dark suit and tie. I turned to my friend in disbelief though he didn't bat an eye. He already had his phone out ready to record, as if he knew Shaun would be there.

As I didn't book the tickets myself, I was blissfully unaware of their description. It read: "This week's big fat quizzbox is hosted by national treasure Shaun Wallace, or as you might know him: The Dark Destroyer! Joining us from everybody's favourite television game show, The Chase. The Dark Destroyer is here to hand out prizes for points in our second-ever big fat quizzbox."

I had inadvertently booked myself a casual celebrity meet and greet but that wasn't as surprising as how different Shaun is when the cameras aren't rolling. During The Chase, he's quite reserved and only offers light jabs to contestants. In BOXPARK, he was fun, carefree and even a little wild. As a host, Shaun didn't shy away from participating with the audience, issuing fist bumps to teams who bagged a correct answer. He made his way through the BOXPARK aisles to mingle with guests and it felt like hanging out with a friend more than meeting a celebrity.

There was never a moment of silence with Shaun as he had plenty to say, be it padding out the questions with his own gems of wisdom or rinsing teams with incorrect answers and cheeky names. Seeing him so relaxed and at home on the mic was worlds away from the understated Shaun off the tele. In between questions, he snapped as many photos as he could. Even after the quiz wrapped, he stayed around to meet fans despite the queue wrapping the perimeter of the venue.

The Dark Destroyer we've grown accustomed to is more of a character than anything. The real-life Shaun Wallace is a blast and very capable of keeping a party going. If The Chase were to crown a people's princess it would be Shaun. What a lovely experience to meet someone so familiar who lives up to expectations.

And that's how a quiet catch-up resulted in a meet and greet with an ITV icon. Incase you're wondering where we placed in the quiz - 47th.

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