The Chase's Shaun Wallace pitches to take over from John Humphrys on Mastermind

The quiz whiz, who's appeared on ITV's The Chase as The Dark Destroyer since 2009, told Simon Gross in an interview that "it would be a tremendous honour" to host Mastermind.

"It would just go to show that television looks at real talent and looks at diverse talent, irrespective of your skin colour, gender or sexuality.

"And it would give a lot of encouragement to people that you can come from nowhere to be something if you've got the talent."

Wallace has appeared on the BBC quiz show before, having won the 2004 series with the specialist subject FA Cup Finals.

BBC broadcaster Humphrys left Mastermind in February after almost 20 years at the helm, writing in his Daily Mail column that he wishes his successor "well".

"But I'm not sure I envy them, whoever 'they' may be," he added. "Mastermind is one of those programmes you tinker with at your peril. Allow a contender to choose a light-hearted subject and the cry goes out: 'Dumbing down!' Change the format even slightly and you are 'sexing up'."

Since Humphrys' exit, social media has been rife with predictions for his replacement, with the Mastermind alumni revealing who they think should replace him as host and preside over the infamous black chair.

While the names of Peep Show star David Mitchell and BBC News presenter Samira Ahmed frequently popped up, The Chase's Mark Labbett suggested his co-star Wallace, adding that he would be "a superb choice".

"The only Black winner of Mastermind, he is a beloved national figure seen by millions every week who is renowned for his intelligence, education and charm," the Chaser told RadioTimes.com.

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