Anne Hegerty has become a household name for families across the country while starring as a Chaser.

The quizzing expert - best known as The Governess - has portrayed the fan favourite alter ego role since 2020.

Ahead of her life as a star-studded celebrity on the hit competition show - surrounded by glitz and glamour - she lived a life that was world's apart from her role on screen.

Anne, 63, tragically revealed that she lived on the brink of homelessness.

Anne is best recognised as 'The Governess' (
Image:
ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She used to have a completely different career (
Image:
ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

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She lived on pay packets month-to-month as a freelancer, relying on benefits to tie her over her rent costs at a council housing - all whilst struggling with anxiety.

Ahead of being the fan favourite and esteemed role on screen as a Chaser, the ITV star described her life ahead before finding fame.

"I just simply couldn't keep it going and the result was I wasn't paying my bills, but I was trying not to go on benefits on the grounds that I just thought that was sort of giving up. I wasn't giving up," she told Stuff.

The reality TV star worked freelance roles as a proof reader - but soon fell into financial difficulty when her autism meant she struggled to keep on top of her accounts.

Anne, pictured in 1983, used to be a proof reader (
Image:
South Wales Argus)
She now lives a glamorous life in the spotlight (
Image:
WireImage,)

Anne was living in a council house and fell behind with rent payments when someone from the Housing Association visited her.

"She was stepping over piles of unopened mail and realised we had a problem. She said 'we will fix this, I will get someone to help you,'" she added.

Help from a social worker meant that Anne could be assisted with paying her bills by putting on Disability Living Allowance - a benefit for with disabilities to live everyday lives.

Once her life was back on track, Anne learned about the "high level quizzing circuit" and the rest is history.

Anne starred on I'm a Celebrity in 2018 (
Image:
ITV)

The star managed to quickly turn her life around as she has a whopping fortunate today of approximately £3.2m, according to CelebrityNetWorth.

"It is difficult to go down the street without being recognised. It's weird and interesting," she said of her fame.

"There are times when you're not absolutely crazy about it.. but I hope I never take it for granted."

Her success is thanks to her strong-will and determination to roles on-screen - from starring on The Chase spin-offs to her I'm A Celebrity stint.

The quizzing legend starred on the reality show in November 2018 - winning the nations' hearts as she candidly admitted her struggles with mental health before finishing in 7th place.

The TV star isn't ready to settle down anytime soon (
Image:
Getty Images)

Anne isn't prepared to share her fortune and success with a partner anytime soon, having ruled out settling down in the future and decided she doesn't need to be with a partner.

In 2019, she revealed that she thinks having Asperger's syndrome would make it "unfair" on her partners.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday: "It took years of psychotherapy before I even considered dating. I lost weight, replaced my glasses with contact lenses and felt a lot more confident. But I find it really hard to hold down a relationship," she said.

Opening up candidly about her past, Anne said the sex failed to match up to her expectations. with her longest relationship lasting just a few months.

"The longest was with a man I met at the Mastermind Club. I’d fancied him for years and we were together for four months,” she said.

"And sex was always better in my head, I felt like I was somewhere else while it was happening… It made me realise I needed space both mentally and physically in life, and I can’t make it work," she explained.

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