The Chase's Christmas special took an unexpected turn when an Anne Hegerty lookalike crashed the show.

In the episode broadcast on Wednesday night (December 25), Bradley Walsh was visibly taken aback as he spotted what seemed to be quiz expert Anne, famed for her role as one of The Chase's esteemed quizmasters.

However, the illusion was quickly shattered when the studio lights went up and revealed the 'Anne' in question was actually fellow Chaser Shaun Wallace.

Shaun - referred to as The Dark Destroyer on the show - donned Anne's signature grey suit, cropped brown hairdo, a flash of red lipstick, false eyelashes and glitzy festive eyeshadow.

Bradley couldn't help but jest, "Who have you come as?" as Shaun brandished a copy of The Chase board game and explained: "I'm Anne Hegerty, from The Chase board game," which triggered a wave of laughter across the studio.

"Wow, very convincing yeah," Bradley teased as Shaun hilariously imitated Anne's quirks, including her coughs and mumblings, before joking, "My knickers have melted," which sent the celebrity panel and audience into fits of giggles, reports .

The star-studded line-up for the holiday episode included actor Tony Maudsley, Olympic trampoline champion Bryony Page, actress Kerry Godliman and Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong.

In the thrilling festive special, the entire team reached the final chase, amassing an impressive £116,000. They were joined by quiz maestro Jenny Ryan, known as The Vixen, for the ultimate showdown, where they managed to gain a 23-question advantage.

Jenny praised the team's efforts before the final round. "Sensational work, a great team performance," she began, before confessing: "I mean, I knew I was up against it but you really pulled together when it counted there."

Despite her expertise, The Vixen couldn't close the gap with the celebrity contestants, answering only 20 questions correctly, which led to the team's exceptional win. The celebrities jumped for joy and embraced each other in a heartwarming moment, before declaring where their prize money would go.

For Tony, his £29,000 share of the prize pot was going to the hospice Zoe's Place in Liverpool, with Bryony supporting The Wingate Special Children's Trust. Meanwhile Kerry backed Action for Children and Alexander, Newcastle's Lit & Phil library.

You can catch up with The Chase on demand over on ITVX