Anne Hegerty and Issa Schultz tell us what to expect on The Chase New Zealand

Brains, books, a biting sense of humour – what does it really take to be a Chaser on one of TV’s most popular quiz shows? And how do you get such a stickable nickname? Mitchell Hageman meets the recently announced stars of The Chase New Zealand - the Governess Anne Hegerty and Supernerd Issa Schultz – to find out.

The wait is over. New Zealand smarty-pants will have their time to shine on The Chase New Zealand this November.

The four-part series was filmed in Australia this year and will start on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ on November 3.

The Herald was on set during filming, and sat down with the two international Chasers joining host Paul Henry to test contestants’ knowledge: the Governess and Supernerd.

Here’s the exclusive story from behind the scenes.

Anne Hegerty: ‘It changed my life’

Anne Hegerty says The Chase changed her life. Photo / TVNZ

Gruff, scary, menacing. The Governess dominates Kiwi TV screens nightly, but that persona is a far cry from who Anne Hegerty really is.

“I had a horrible aunt and a horrible grandmother, and [the Governess is] based on those two,” the 66-year-old star of The Chase says of her character’s inception.

Hegerty is about to leave her dressing room and step on to the set of The Chase New Zealand at Sydney’s NEP studios. She’s the only quizzer from the British version who will test the general knowledge of New Zealanders on the series – but she did let her fellow brain-boxes know they were missing out.

“I remember messaging the other Chasers saying, ‘You know that remote Polynesian island where we are worshipped as gods? I’ve found it!’”

She admits she “practically got mobbed” the first time she hit Kiwi shores, and that the special place the show has in Kiwis’ hearts isn’t lost on her.

The Governess was the first female Chaser and has been a regular on the show since 2010. But Hegerty’s first steps into the world of professional quizzing came much earlier.

“I was always quite interested in general knowledge. I was the granddaughter of a publisher and grew up with a lot of books and read an awful lot,” she says.

From a young age, Hegerty’s thirst for learning things became apparent. While soaking up encyclopaedias was a great way to learn facts, she also put her skills to use in journalism, spending 10 years as a reporter.

“It gradually dawned on me that I hated being edited and wanted to be the one doing the editing,” she says. So she delved into freelance editing of books and academic literature, and “still uses shorthand” to this day.

While quizzing had always been something Hegerty was interested in, her jump into the professional circuit really catapulted in 1987, when she appeared on the hit quiz show Mastermind.

“Soon after my appearance on that, I joined Mastermind club, a social club of people who had been on the show, who would once a month have a meeting in a pub.”

Anne Hegerty is nothing like her steely eyed Chase persona. Photo / Greg Bowker

Through these connections she found out about Britain’s high-level quizzing circuit, which led to more opportunities, including an appearance on BBC’s Are You An Egghead?

“It was the sort of show that initiated the idea of having professional quizzers on a quiz show,” Hegerty says. Word got about quickly and at that time, the quizzing community was “very incestuous”, with people popping up on shows all over the place.

When she saw The Chase was being picked up for a series, she found out who to contact and said, “Hi, I’d love to be your female Chaser”.

“It completely changed my life.”

When she was growing up, Hegerty’s late parents had very different ideas about life, but she believes they would be proud of her achievements in their own ways.

“My dad loved Eggheads, he’d rather I’d have been an Egghead than a Chaser, but he was still awfully proud of me being a Chaser,” she says.

“Mum would’ve been glad that I was doing something that made me happy and earned me a decent living, but she would’ve felt quite uncomfortable that it was so competitive“.

As for the Governess, Hegerty reckons she may have softened over the years – or at least she “no longer feels the need to be really rude” to contestants.

And her advice for those going on the show, trying to beat the Chasers? Know your weaknesses.

“Top quizzers often don’t do well in things like pub quizzes because the format is often different,” she says.

“And I do have weaknesses. I’m not great at sport, and I’m probably going to be even worse on New Zealand sport.”

Issa Schultz: A sick day that led to a career

Issa Schultz says Kiwis shouldn't underestimate him. Photo / TVNZ

Movies, games, music: “Supernerd” Issa Schultz is a walking encyclopaedia of pop culture facts and can spin a yarn like no one else.

Backstage, decked in his favourite videogame shirt, the Australian-Brit isn’t as stuffy as he appears on screen, but he’s not immune to the nerves of being in the hot seat.

“It feels like 10 years ago, when I first did the Australian one,” the 41-year-old says on the eve of his first The Chase New Zealand appearance.

“First night nerves, you could say, if it was a theatre show. But I’m absolutely thrilled and delighted.”

Growing up in Cornwall and then the Sunshine Coast, Schultz’s early quizzing days can be pinned to the influence of his dad.

“My father used to work at an RSL-type club. He used to host quizzes, and I’m pretty sure he just used Trivial Pursuit cards. I would ... be thrilled to leave from Boy Scouts and go to the quiz,” he says.

“I just loved hearing the questions and the answers. Anything that brings discussion is the sign of a good trivia question.”

Schultz also knows his way around an encyclopaedia, which he credits for his hunger for information growing up.

The genesis of his love for The Chase is certainly a conversation starter.

“I accidentally found The Chase on YouTube in 2012. I was sick at home from work [in IT], and the first thing that stuck out was obviously Bradley [Walsh],” he says, noting he was charmed by the British host’s charisma.

Brydon Coverdale, Mara Lejins, Issa Schultz and David Poltorak, stars of The Chase Australia. Photo / Getty Images

Soon enough, producers of the Australian show noticed his standing within the professional quizzing circuit and picked him as a Chaser.

But Supernerd wasn’t always going to be Schultz’s stage name.

“The producers were toying with the name ‘Brain Man’, a play on the Dustin Hoffman character Rain Man,” he says, adding that his eventual Supernerd character took a bit of getting used to.

“At first it sounded a bit sort of dorky, but it was around the time of Doctor Who with Matt Smith and the bowtie, and I began to think this is cool, this could work.”

And now, the man who brought a vintage Gameboy into his Chase audition (and wore a pair of Sega socks) believes it was the right call.

“People know Supernerd, so that’s what I respond to. Issa is a pretty hard name to remember.”

Kiwi quizzers beware, though. For the New Zealand show, Schultz may have an ace up his sleeve.

“I quiz internationally and against many New Zealanders, and I know they are good. I won’t say who in case they get cast on the show,” he says.

And while the people are his favourite thing about the show, he also loves how it makes being smart a good thing.

“The format thrives on knowledge. And I love how knowledge is rewarded on a show like The Chase.”

The Chase New Zealand starts November 3, 7.30pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.