Shaun Wallace surprises 109-year-old The Chase superfan Doris Wakelin

Doris Wakelin has watched The Chase at least twice a day, so a surprise visit from one of its best-known Chasers made for a memorable day at her Ashburton rest home. Shaun Wallace, known on the show as the Dark Destroyer, dropped in to meet the 109-year-old fan and her fellow residents. Wallace told those gathered that he had come to see “a very, very wonderful, special lady named Doris”. He brought Wakelin a signed The Chase coffee mug, thanking her for being a loyal fan. Her daughter, Noella, said staff had arranged the visit and that her mother was delighted to meet the television personality. The visit also included a quiz. Wallace challenged Doris and her family with six questions about Ashburton and some of Wakelin’s favourite things. He answered five correctly, but was quick to give the credit to his host. “Doris is the real winner. I just answer questions correctly,” he joked. Wallace is in New Zealand for a quiz tour raising money for Cure Kids. A barrister and former Mastermind champion, he has been part of The Chase since the programme began in 2009. Although Wakelin got to meet the Dark Destroyer, her favourite from the show remains its host, Bradley Walsh. According to Noella, Walsh has sent her mother a birthday video message for six years in a row, including for her 109th birthday in July. He has previously joked about travelling to New Zealand to have tea and cake with her. Wallace passed along Walsh’s love, explaining that the host was too busy to visit but hoped to come when he had the opportunity. For now, the signed mug and a face-to-face quiz with one of the Chasers gave Wakelin a special surprise of her own.