Shaun Wallace surprised 109-year-old Doris Wakelin with a visit to her Ashburton rest home, presenting the superfan with a signed coffee mug from television quiz show The Chase.
- Shaun Wallace travelled to Radius Millstream rest home to meet 109-year-old fan Doris Wakelin.
- The Dark Destroyer presented a signed coffee mug and played a special six-question quiz.
- Longtime host Bradley Walsh still holds the top spot as Wakelin’s favourite television personality.
- Wallace was in New Zealand for a quiz tour raising money for Cure Kids.
According to 1News, reaching the age of 109 meant Doris Wakelin was no stranger to unexpected moments, yet dropping in from a cast member of her beloved TV series truly surpassed them all. The Ashburton centenarian watched the programme at least twice a day, making her a dedicated viewer of the international hit quiz format.
Wallace stopped by Radius Millstream rest home, telling fellow residents he had come to see “a very, very wonderful, special lady named Doris,” according to 1News. He presented Wakelin with a special signed The Chase coffee mug, thanking her for being the show’s “loyal and number one fan.”
“She absolutely appreciated the visit,” her daughter Noella told 1News, adding that it was “very special” to see a world-famous television personality take the time to visit her mother. “It was lovely just seeing him giving her the coffee cup and talk to her.”
No visit from a Chaser would be complete without a test of knowledge. Wallace faced off against Wakelin and her family in a six-question challenge covering Ashburton trivia and some of the centenarian’s favourite things, 1News reported.
Securing the victory by getting five out of six inquiries right, the Dark Destroyer treated the outcome as nothing out of the ordinary during his daily routine.
“Doris is the real winner. I just answer questions correctly,” he joked, according to 1News.
Having been part of The Chase from its inception back in 2009, Wallace—a qualified barrister and past Mastermind titleholder—was presently journeying across New Zealand to participate in a trivia tour supporting Cure Kids.
While Wallace made a lasting impression during his stop at the rest home, he did not quite manage to dethrone Wakelin’s favourite personality from the show, 1News reported. Across six years in a row, most recently for turning 109 in July, Wakelin had been sent birthday video greetings courtesy of the programme’s frontman Bradley Walsh.
“She considers Bradley to be just like another son,” Noella told 1News. Walsh had previously joked about travelling to New Zealand to visit Wakelin for tea and cake, but Wallace managed to beat him to it.
“Bradley sends his love. He couldn’t make it because he’s extremely busy, but he assures me that when he has the opportunity he will come,” Wallace told Wakelin, according to 1News.
Reflecting on the encounter, Noella mentioned she questioned her mother on whether Wallace had now claimed the top spot in her heart after traveling out to see her, yet her allegiance stayed firmly with the programme’s veteran presenter.
