The Dark Destroyer Shaun Wallace’s love affair with New Zealand is no secret. So convincing him to return for another quiz tour around the country this November was never going to take much arm-twisting.
“Not at all!” grins The Chase legend, adding that he’s honoured to be embarking on his second fundraiser for Cure Kids.
“Meeting some of the brave young children who benefit from the charity makes me doubly determined to come out and earn as much money on their behalf as I can.”
Shaun’s support for children’s welfare extends well beyond his work with Cure Kids. Although he doesn’t have children of his own, he is an enthusiastic godfather to 15 now-adult godchildren, including two named Shaun.
“I’m also really close to my ex-partner’s daughter Jay-Ann, who is 34 and works in technology and gaming in America,” he reveals.
“I helped to raise her from the age of two and treat her like a daughter. She treats me like her dad. We call and speak to each other all the time.”
Shaun’s Kiwi connection
This will be Shaun’s sixth visit to New Zealand, and the TV favourite still loves exploring the country and making time for his fans and friends. Alongside the eight official tour dates, he expects to make surprise appearances at local pub quizzes and visit several retirement homes.
“Going into retirement homes is really special,” he tells.
“I’m excited to see some of the people I’ve met before.”
Five-star hotels might seem the obvious choice for someone with Shaun’s celebrity status, but some of his most memorable experiences in New Zealand include staying with locals.
During last year’s Cure Quiz tour, he and Kiwi actor and quiz tour emcee Will Hall were guests at the Papamoa home of Maree Barrington, mother of Will’s mate Ben Barrington of Shortland Street fame.
There was even a final chase, with Brendan Lochead of Believe It Or Not Quiz Events playing the role of Chase host Bradley Walsh, and Shaun taking on Maree and her friends.
“I managed to beat them on the last question,” smiles the ever-competitive star.
A Kiwi mate for life
On his first trip to our shores in 2019, he stayed with Brendan Lochead and his wife Annabelle, arriving at short notice as Auckland hotels were booked for Chinese New Year.
Shaun, 66, explains, “I was filming the Australian version of The Chase and thought it would be a good chance to go to New Zealand while I was in this part of the world. I’d met a Kiwi guy called Barry at a football match who knew Brendan and gave me his number. When I called, he was on a fishing trip with a group of kids for his son’s birthday. He said, ‘When are you coming?’ I said, ‘Six days!’”
In a surreal coincidence, on the day he arrived, they switched on the TV and there was The Chase starring The Dark Destroyer himself.
“The minute we turned it on, there was me,” laughs Shaun, who describes Brendan as a “brother from a different mother”.
The master quizzer is looking forward to some adventurous activities during his next visit, including a bungy jump at Hanmer Springs during the tour’s South Island leg.
“It’s not a problem as long as Brendan does it with me,” he laughs.
“I’ve jumped off the Sky Tower, which was a great experience, but Brendan doesn’t like jumping off things. We didn’t tell his wife until after we’d bungy jumped in Queenstown.”
17 years and still chasing
As one of the original Chasers alongside Mark “The Beast” Labbett, Shaun agrees that 17 years on The Chase is an amazing run. He also enjoys appearing in the show’s spin-offs, Beat the Chasers and the new format The Chase Around the World, which was broadcast in the UK earlier this year.
Outside the show, he continues to practise as a barrister, but these days “picks and chooses” his cases to fit around his TV schedule.
Shaun shows no signs of slowing down or retiring. He’s in great shape, starting each day with a challenging exercise regime, including 300 kettlebell swings and 100 leg raises.
“My philosophy is to make hay while the sun shines and keep taking every opportunity,” he says.
“I’ve never stopped dreaming or believing I could make a difference, and through luck and design, it’s happened. I always remember what it’s like to be the Shaun of 30 years ago and to use my fame in an altruistic way to help others when I can.”
The Chase screens 5pm on TVNZ 1.
For tickets to Cure Kids Quiz Nights with Shaun Wallace, see believeitornot.co.nz/shaunwallace
