Family and friends of a teacher who died of terminal cancer weeks after filming ITV quiz show The Chase have celebrated the posthumous airing of his episode this week
Teacher Tim McCarthy, 64, was living with the illness when he fulfilled his dream to appear on the programme hosted by Bradley Walsh – and he won with one fellow contestant after beating chaser Jenny Ryan by a single second.
The episode was shown a month after his death, with loved ones filling out The Colliers pub in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester to honour his £50,000 win.
“He liked to punch the air when he won on the horses and this was a punch-the-air moment,” his widow Rachel McCarthy told the BBC.
She revealed that her husband had kept his diagnosis secret from producers out of fear he would be barred from taking part.
“Tim was so scared they wouldn't let him compete if they knew about his diagnosis. So he didn't tell them.”
McCarthy described himself as a educational leadership consultant during his appearance the programme.
"It was a very narrow victory but he won," she said. “He was overjoyed when he won but we had to keep it secret.”
Adding that she wanted the show to be a “celebration of his life”, she continued: “Sadly we never got to spend his £50,000 prize as his health deteriorated and we couldn't even go on a holiday.”
In an interview with Manchester Evening News, she described her husband as “the kindest, cleverest, and most humble man I ever knew.”
She added: “It will be hard and emotional watching the episode, but I'm hoping it will be the best viewing figures they've had in a while.”
Launched in 2009, The Chase regularly draws audiences of between three and five million people, making it one of the most successful and long-running shows on British television.
Contestants must face an expert “chaser” and beat their general knowledge to win a significant cash prize.
Six quiz experts appear on the show as of 2025, including Ryan, Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Mark Labbett, Paul Sinha and Darragh Ennis.
