The Chase has a new Chaser – and it's a former contestant

Darragh Ennis, an Irish post-doctoral researcher at Oxford University, went viral when he first appeared on the programme back in March 2017, becoming a fan favourite and giving the formidable Chasers a run for their money.

The hashtag #justicefordarragh trended on Twitter when Ennis managed to bag £9,000 for his team – only for them to end up decreasing the amount by almost a third.

Hosted by Doctor Who star Bradley Walsh, the quiz series sees teams of four contestants pitted against one of the show's champion quizzers – or "Chasers" – including Mark 'The Beast' Labbett, Shaun 'Dark Destroyer' Wallace, Anne 'The Governess' Hegerty, Jenny 'The Vixen' Ryan, and Paul 'Sinnerman' Sinha.

The Mirror first reported Ennis' arrival last night, quoting a source who said: "Darragh has got what it takes to be a Chaser, he has been put to the test and passed with flying colours."

Taking to Twitter earlier today, Ennis confirmed his involvement, writing: "I'm really excited to be the 6th chaser on #TheChase.

"I've been working hard on this for a while now and can't wait for my episodes to air. Well the ones I win anyway."

https://twitter.com/bones_giles/status/1250657923040251909

Fellow Chaser comedian Paul Sinha was quick to respond, welcoming Ennis into the fold.

"The night before the producers told us, Anne and Mark and I sat at dinner and pondered 'Could it be a former contestant'," he tweeted.

"I said, 'If it is, the best player I faced was an Irish guy who looked a bit like Micky Flanagan' Welcome to the club mate."

https://twitter.com/paulsinha/status/1250690073919660033

Ennis is the first Chaser to join the show since 2015, when Jenny Ryan (The X Factor: Celebrity) was announced as the fifth master quizzer.

The Chase airs on ITV on weekdays at 5pm