Anne Hegerty has been on The Chase since 2010 and became the first ever female chaser on the ITV quiz show.

Anne Hegerty

Anne Hegerty’s surprising new career move has been revealed (Image: ITV)

Anne Hegerty is best known for her role on The Chase, but she will be swapping the ITV quiz show for the stage over the festive period. Later this year, Anne, 66, will reprise her role as The Fairy Rose in Scarborough Spa’s production of Beauty and the Beast. The exciting news was announced by the X account of the Spa Hall in Scarborough.

Anne, who is “back by popular demand”, will be stepping into the shoes of the Fairy Rose, otherwise known as the Enchanted Rose in the 1991 film. The post read: “We are delighted to announce that back by popular demand for Beauty and the Beast will be The Governess, Anne Hegerty! Keep your eyes peeled for MORE star names to follow.” The poster also revealed that Jake Quickenden will be playing the role of Gaston in the production.

Anne Hegerty

Anne will be reprising her role as The Fairy Rose in Beauty and the Beast (Image: X/Scarborough Spa)

Beauty and the Beast will run from December 6, 2025 to New Year’s Day in 2026.

This isn’t the first time Anne has showcased her talents in a pantomime. In 2014, she played the Wicked Stepmother in Grange Theatre’s production of Cinderella.

She went on to star as the Empress of China in Aladdin and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty.

Opening up about how she kickstarted her career in panto, Anne revealed she was contacted by a theatre producer after setting up an X account, formerly known as Twitter.

Anne Hegerty

Anne has been on The Chase since 2010 (Image: ITV)“I did panto [but] I was really fairly terrible the first time. I was technically bad, I used to miss cues, so I stumbled through it. Then got offered more and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she told the Swindon Advertiser in 2022.

Anne continued: “I enjoy doing the panto, it’s a chance to act and a chance to sing, a chance to act, a chance to be funny more than one gets in The Chase.

“This year I’m Fairy Flutterby, I’m not strictly a villain, I do turn the Beast into the Beast, but I was only doing it to teach him a lesson.”