The Chase star Darragh Ennis has revealed how his kids feel about his fame, and it’s probably not what you think.
The Dubliner is one of the most recognised faces on British telly as ‘The Menace’ on ITV’s hit quiz show, The Chase.
But away from the spotlight, Darragh enjoys a quiet life with his wife and two children, who have always remained anonymous.
How do The Chase’s Darragh Ennis’s kids feel about his success?
He told EVOKE that his family ‘are not into’ his celebrity status, saying: ‘My kids are used to it [him being recognised] because it happens so often.’
Darragh continued: ‘In fairness, people are generally less likely to ask me because I am with my kids, which is great. But mostly [the children] are just bored of it all and really embarrassed because it has been going on for so long.
‘I don’t involve them in it at all. If someone wants to talk to me, I move away from them, and they are never in pictures or anything like that. They’re not into it at all.’
Darragh met his wife, Joan, a fellow scientist, while they were both studying for their doctorates in biology at Maynooth University.
The couple were university sweethearts and lived as housemates before getting together. The family now lives in Oxford in the UK.
As for a move back home to Ireland, Darragh says it’s not on the cards.
‘No. My kids are in school here, my wife has a good job here,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t do the TV stuff from Ireland, really.’
‘If I came back to Ireland and tried to get a media job, I would struggle. It’s a smaller market and it is difficult to break into. I’m very well aware of my place in the media world, I’m a small fish.’
Darragh was speaking ahead of a new quiz tour this September, where he will visit seven venues across Ireland, giving audiences the chance to put their knowledge to the test in an evening packed with laughs, stories, audience interaction and plenty of brain-teasing questions.
Speaking about the tour, Darragh said: ‘I’m delighted to be bringing my live quiz back to Ireland. These shows are all about having fun, testing your knowledge, and sharing a great night out with friends and family.
‘I can’t wait to visit so many fantastic venues around the country and meet everyone this September.
‘There are eight rounds, with three breaks in the middle…and during those breaks people can ask me any questions they want.
‘It’s my favourite part of the show. The questions I keep getting asked are: how many shows do I film in a day, I didn’t realise you were as tall as you are, what’s Bradley Walsh really like, who is the best Chaser, what’s your worst subject, what’s your best subject, how did you end up getting the job?
‘It all runs through an app, and I ask questions. It’s multiple choice, and [the audience’s] answers get pinged up to a computer, which tots up the scores. That way we can do multiple choice and play games and stuff through the software.
‘It also means people can’t cheat, which is the bane of pub quizzes. Nobody can look anything up because the quicker you answer, the more points you get. It is a great, fun night out.’
Tickets can be bought here and here.
