The Chase put their filming on hold after one of their founding members was forced to go under the knife as he shared a major health update.

The Chase was forced to halt filming after one Chaser was rushed to hospital to undergo surgery (Image: Shutterstock)

The Chase has paused filming after one of the beloved Chasers was rushed to the hospital. On Thursday (March 12), Shaun Wallace, otherwise known as his on-screen persona, the Dark Destroyer, revealed he had been rushed to the hospital but was desperate to get back on set. The 65-year-old brainiac was forced to go under the knife for a knee replacement surgery.

Now, he is determined to “make up” for lost time as he prepares to return to filming next week, on March 17. Speaking on the Royal Kennel Club podcast, he explained: “We’re filming now, but I’ve just had knee replacement surgery. I had that three weeks ago.

“I’ve been training every single day to make sure I can physically walk up and down the plank when I go back on March 17th. As I’ve got to make up my own recording time, I’m in virtually every day from then.

“We start the exciting new concept of Chase Around The World throughout the whole of May. I’m really looking forward to that one.” Shaun has been part of the show since it first launched back in 2009, and has been part of the spin-off show Beat The Chasers.

He is also set to feature in the filming for the new ITV spin-off show, Chase Around The World, which will hit the airwaves in May. It will see teams of people race each other in pairs, and along the way, they will unravel cryptic conundrums and find buried clues in a bid to find the Chasers.

Host Bradley Walsh has teased the new series, revealing: “This bold new take on The Chase combines quizzing with travelling and will test contestants’ knowledge like never before. The Chasers are already famous around the world, so fans can look forward to seeing them play their trade in some superb secret locations.”

Shaun Wallace had to take three weeks off filming to undergo knee replacement surgery (Image: ITV)

This isn’t the only first spin-off of the popular quiz show. Fans also tune in for The Chase: Celebrity Specials, which began back in 2011, with The Family Chase debuting six years later. Other takes include Beat The Chasers and a special spin-off called The Chasers’ Road Trip: Trains, Brains and Automobiles.

Before Shaun shot to stardom on the ITV show, he was a practising criminal barrister. He appeared in hearings at both the Old Bailey and numerous magistrates’ courts across England, Wales and Scotland.

In 2004, he showed off his impressive general knowledge when he scooped up a trophy at the BBC general knowledge quiz, Mastermind. At the time, his expertise was on FA Cup Finals.