Wisbech Thomas Clarkson Academy teacher chases the cash in top TV quiz show

A Wisbech teacher put his general knowledge to the test when he appeared as a contestant on ITV’s hit quiz show The Chase this week.

Ian Gooda, who is head of media and film studies at the Thomas Clarkson Academy (TCA), and had previously held the same role at Downham Market Academy (DMA), featured on Tuesday’s (18) episode of the popular show where he went up against chaser Anne Hegerty.

Ian, who has been in his role at the Wisbech school since September last year, said the show was filmed in October 2018.

“The hardest part of the whole thing was keeping it all under wraps for 15 months,” he told the Citizen.

“People knew I had filmed an episode of The Chase but I wasn’t allowed to give any specifics.

“I watched the episode at a viewing party with some friends from DMA/TCA and a few other close friends and it was great fun to see how invested they were in the outcome.”

The teacher, who spoke on the show of the lip-sync leavers videos he featured in and helped to produce during his time at Downham, also told host Bradley Walsh he hoped to win some money to buy himself a new car.

He told Bradley: “I drive a derelict Vauxhall Astra and the sixth formers make fun of me when I show up because their cars are nicer than mine, so I’m looking to remedy that.”

Having got through the head-to-head round, putting £3,000 in the prize fund, Ian reached the final chase but his team were beaten by the chaser.

“The experience on the show couldn’t have been more fun (well, save for actually winning the thing), Bradley was an absolute gentleman and Anne was a class act and all in all very good-natured to play against,”Ian said.

“I have bought a new car and that did spur my sixth formers to assume I had won The Chase so they may be somewhat disappointed in my outcome but I had an absolute blast,” he added.

“Although the money would have been great, my main goal was to survive the head-to-head challenge.”