Before becoming one of the stars of the popular quiz show The Chase, Darragh ‘The Menace’ Ennis was a scientist at Oxford University.
Although he left that career behind for the bright lights of television trivia, he’s still connected to science with his intriguing new book, The Body: 10 Things You Should Know.
Hilary Barry caught up with The Chase star to talk about the show, his new book, and to turn the tables on the quizmaster with a quiz of her own.
Tell us about how you came to be on The Chase.
“I was just a fan of the show. It’s become a bit of a meme here in Ireland and the UK. I went on the show because we had no back door in my house, and we needed some money. We’d just bought our first house, and that’s what we spent the prize money on when I won as a contestant [on The Chase].
“A week or two later, the producers called me up. I thought it was a windup at first. I thought it was my friends arranging something, but they called me and said, ‘Do you want the interview?’.
How did you get the moniker The Menace?
“When I was interviewing, I was really keen on the job, and I said they could call me what they wanted, and I’d wear whatever they liked — I told them I’d even wear a chicken suit. I really just wanted the gig.
“When they first floated a nickname, they wanted to call me ‘The Professor’, which I said no to because I worked at the University of Oxford at the time, and it would have been bad manners to turn up calling yourself ‘The Professor’.
“I actually didn’t know my nickname until I heard Bradley Walsh call it out as I walked out. They didn’t tell me.”
How does it feel to be known worldwide, including in New Zealand?
“I have an inside line in New Zealand. My friend Gary lives in Auckland, and he’s basically dining out on being my friend. I’d never realised how big The Chase was in New Zealand until he talked to me about it.
“[Over] here, it was very strange. My first shows went out during lockdown, and I was isolated in my house for months, and I came out of that famous. Going from only seeing my immediate family to having people asking for selfies was a bit of a shock.”
Tell us about your new book.
“I’ve written a book about the human body. It’s a science book, but not for scientists — it’s for normal people. It’s for people who are interested in how the body works. Why do we age? Why do we sleep? How do we go from one cell at the start to a full human? Those are the questions that I answer in the book.
“There are ten key questions that I go through. It’s the full human journey, but in accessible language that everybody can understand.”
Watch the video above to see how Ennis fared when Barry put him through his paces with a bespoke quiz about New Zealand.
