Joining the chase.

A quick remark that this blog would like to be able to say "I told you so", as the first mentioned on our shortlist, Gambler and Only Connect Champion, Jenny Ryan, is announced as ITV's 5th Chaser, but to be totally honest, after compiling the shortlist, the author had begun privately predicting it would be Daisy Christodoulou. Ah well. 

A much sounder prediction seems to be that Jenny Ryan will do excellently in the role, there's certainly no lack of evidence of her general knowledge, nor, if you follow her twitter, her sense of humour. 

(2 minutes of 'proper' research actually yielded an enormous list of quiz appearances which the author poorly neglected to mention last time; including the impressive trio of University Challenge, Mastermind and 15 to 1).

They were all adopted.

There is no news yet of when Ryan will begin appearing on ITV, but given the rather long turnaround of the 'big two', it is probably unlikely to be very soon. In the meantime, one can sample Jenny's excellent writing on Feminism and quizzes here, and, this author imagines, learn more about her from a number of the more conventional media outlets when they get round to it. A longer conversation about in what ways each of teatime-rivals Pointless and The Chase can refresh themselves, and what effect Ryan may have on the two shows' fortunes is almost certainly due, but not today.