A Headteacher who won £50,000 on The Chase has passed away just one month before his episode aired. According to the BBC, Tim McCarthy, from Tyldesley in Greater Manchester, died in July aged 64 after a long-term illness. Sadly, Tim was never able to see himself on the programme, so instead, the 64-year-old's widow organised a watch party at the local pub.
Dozens of family and friends of the teacher gathered to watch him win on the quiz show at his local pub. The Warrington-born former headteacher was reportedly a "massive" fan of the ITV programme and recorded his episode in October but died on 19 July. His family and friends packed into local pub The Colliers where they watched his episode of The Chase. His widow, Rachel McCarthy, revealed that only a handful of people knew that her late husband had scored the £50,000 win from his appearance on the programme.
Speaking to the BBC, Rachel said: "He liked to punch the air when he won on the horses and this was a punch-the-air moment. Tim was so scared they wouldn't let him compete if they knew about his diagnosis. So he didn't tell them."
"He was overjoyed when he won but we had to keep it secret - he beat The Chaser by a second with his fellow competitor." She added: "Sadly we never got to spend his £50,000 prize as his health deteriorated, and we couldn't even go on a holiday."
Before appearing on The Chase, Tim secured a physics degree at the University of Manchester, graduating at the early age of just 19 years old. His friend Stuart Keane said that Tim "was brilliant friend with a brilliant mind." The former principal of Stockport Academy also made headlines in 2000 when he bet his pupils would score improved GCSE results.
He shared his to put on a celebration for his colleagues and students. According to the BBC, Tim also launched a series of academies across the UK, Dubai and India where he worked as the founding chief executive of Aurora Academies Trust. The trust was set up back in 2012 after a government policy passed, allowing private not-for-profit organisations and charities to run schools outside regulatory bodies, with the help of government money.