The Chase’s Darragh Ennis, also known as The Menace, opened up on Loose Women about the challenges he faced while filming the ITV quiz show, following his father’s death from dementia.
During Wednesday’s (January 22) episode, Darragh spoke candidly about his father’s battle with the illness and how it affected him after his dad passed away in July 2024.
He described feeling like he was “playing to a script” in his daily life and particularly struggled when he returned to The Chase set.
Darragh recounted the suddenness of his father’s decline, saying: “In the end it was quite sudden. He had been physically quite well but then I got a phone call, and I barely made it home in time,” and admitted that despite appearing functional on the outside, he felt “broken” inside.
Following a natural break in filming, Darragh found himself under stress at work, noting: “We had a natural break in filming, but when I did go back to work, I was put under that stressful situation,” reports the Mirror.
He talked about his difficulty in answering questions quickly, a task he normally managed with ease: “Normally when I start making mistakes, I’d naturally be able to handle it.”
However, this time was different for Darragh, who said: “I’d just plant my feet and keep going, but this time when I went to put my feet down, there was nothing underneath them. They just fell away.”
Additionally, Darragh mentioned becoming “camera shy” and feeling completely “overwhelmed” by the pressure.
He revealed: “I had a couple of episodes like that, where every time I tried to reach for that part of myself that’s normally very calm under pressure, it wasn’t there anymore.”
Thankfully, the show’s producers noticed Darragh’s struggles and not only offered him extra time off but also arranged counselling to support him through his grief.
Darragh first “shrugged it away” when offered help, not wanting to admit he was struggling. But after accepting support, he felt like someone was saving him from “drowning”.
Darragh’s journey has now led him to become an Ambassador for the grief charity At a Loss.
The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV1