The Chase’s Darragh Ennis (Image: ITV)
The Chase star Darragh Ennis revealed he dreams of being a science presenter on TV after he stops working on the popular quiz show.
The 44-year-old is a qualified entomologist and neuroscientist and wants to combine his backgrounds in science and TV in the future.
The professional quizzer was asked by Gerry Kelly what he wanted to do after ends and if he would go back to his original qualifications.
responded: “I’d like to do a mixture of both. What I’d really like to do is I’d like to become a science presenter on TV.
“I think there’s a bit of a gap in programming in the UK and Ireland for science for adults. There used to be Tomorrow’s World and a few others like that but they’re gone.
“And other than the nature programmes and maybe Brian Cox’s interstellar and planetary stuff, there’s no general science programmes for adults anymore.
Darragh Ennis (second right) with his fellow Chasers and Bradley Walsh (Image: ITV)
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“That’s a bit of a problem. People are becoming afraid of science, they think it’s too hard, too difficult to comprehend. We need to make science accessible to an audience of adults.
“There’s great stuff for children, but once you get past the age of 12 there’s nothing there and I’d like to fill that gap.”
Since 2013, Darragh has worked as a laboratory manager and research technician in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. He specialises in researching the brains of insects.
The interviewer then asked Darragh if he enjoys presenting on TV.
The Irishman also said he wants to follow in the footsteps of his ‘absolute hero’ , the iconic 98 year old nature presenter.
He responded: “I love it. I always wanted to be David Attenborough growing up. That was my ambition.
“I queued for four and a half hours to get his book signed when he came to Oxford. He’s my absolute hero.”
Darragh Ennis (Image: ITV)
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In the same interview Darragh shared the touching connection to his nickname on the ITV show.
He opened up to broadcaster Gerry about his on-screen nickname, ‘The Menace’, which Gerry said was both “obvious but clever”.
It would appear that Darragh is also a fan of his moniker as he explained that it “just works” by using the first letter of his forename (D) and combining it with his surname to make D Ennis the Menace. But there’s another, more touching reason why the name is so perfect for the Chaser.
When Gerry told him it was a “great nickname”, Darragh said: “I know. Well, I didn’t know what it was. They didn’t tell me so when I first heard it was when I walked out on set – the very first time, yeah.”
He added: “Yeah, it just works and my daughter loves The Beano as well so it all wraps up.” Darragh went on to explain that although he didn’t pick his own nickname, two other Chasers were able to do so.