A contestant on The Chase tragically died one month after he won a staggering £100,000 jackpot for his family on the ITV gameshow.
Tim McCarthy, 64, was inspired to apply for the hit quiz show by his passion for general knowledge and friends and family who respected his ‘brilliant mind’.
But the former teacher’s relatives and friends were unaware of his success until the show aired because Mr McCarthy had not been allowed to share the results.
And the contestant from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, never got to spend his winnings because he died just weeks after the show was filmed.
Friends and family gathered in a local Manchester pub yesterday afternoon to watch the quizzer’s performance – because he had wanted to keep everyone guessing.
Mr McCarthy’s widow Rachel said her husband had been ‘so excited’ when he was selected for the show despite being ‘very ill’.
In a nail-biting episode, Mr McCarthy had a personally disappointing start as he answered just one question correctly in the initial head-to-head, bagging £1,000.
But in the second round, the headteacher went with the riskiest offer on the table – £95,000. In a stunning performance he won the money, bringing the prize jackpot up to £100,000 as the other remaining contestant had won £5,000 earlier on.
Tim McCarthy (pictured), 64, was inspired to apply for the hit TV gameshow by his passion for general knowledge and friends and family who respected his ‘brilliant mind’
Despite being ‘very ill’ at the time Mr McCarthy has made his family proud and won a staggering £100,000 jackpot
His widow Rachel (pictured) said her husband had been ‘so excited’ when he was selected for the show
It might have been the final round that proved the most tense as the Chaser Jenny Ryan came within less than a second of beating the pair but was just out of time meaning Mr McCarthy and his fellow quizzer emerged victorious.
It comes as the late 64-year-old had explained his motivations at the start of the show as ‘not wanting any money’ but being ‘here for the fun’.
Though, Mr McCarthy added the cash prize could help his family as they wanted a ‘new conservatory’.
The Warrington-born Manchester United fan also reflected: ‘I’ve been blessed in my career. I’m just trying to give a bit back.’
In the run-up to the show airing yesterday afternoon, friends and family revealed they had been eagerly awaiting the episode.
Jen Headey said: ‘We lost Tim last month, he never told us how he did, he wasn’t allowed. He loved to keep us guessing thought.
‘We will be gathering round our set with friends to watch our very good friend Tim battle it out with the Chasers, I know a few other establishments up and down the country will be joining in to celebrate this moment.
‘I miss your bear hugs, your laugh and even your Manc accent. Be good to hear it again, even if it’s past tense. We love and miss you Tim.’
The late 64-year-old had explained his motivations at the start of the show as ‘not wanting any money’ but being ‘here for the fun’
‘He was the most clever man I ever knew,’ Mr McCarthy’s widow Rachel said
Mr McCarthy’s widow Rachel told the BBC: ‘He was so excited when he was selected for the show even though he was very ill.’
Mrs McCarthy said watching the episode was ‘going to be very difficult but it was part of his bucket list’.
She said her husband had known he only had months to live when he went on the show. ‘He was the most clever man I ever knew,’ she added.
Friend Stuart Keane added that the late quizzer was a ‘brilliant friend with a brilliant mind’.
Mr McCarthy pursued a physics degree from the University of Manchester and graduated at the early age of 19.
Formerly the principal of Stockport Academy, he went on to launch a string of other academies across the UK, Dubai and India as the founding chief executive of Aurora Academies Trust.
Ms McCarthy described family and friends gathering at the local pub The Colliers this afternoon to watch the show as a ‘celebration of life’
Friend Stuart Keane said the late quizzer was a ‘brilliant friend with a brilliant mind’
And he once made headlines as deputy head of Avondale high School in Stockport in the year 2000 when he betted his pupils would score improved GCSE results – before sharing the winnings in a celebration for colleagues and students.
The father-of-three said at the time: ‘The idea of the bet was just tongue-in-cheek to start with but it became a real motivating force for the children.
‘They really put a big effort into their exams.’
Ms McCarthy described family and friends gathering at the local pub The Colliers yesterday afternoon as a ‘celebration of life’.
