Shaun Anthony Linford Wallace is an English barrister, lecturer and television personality of Jamaican descent. He is a "chaser" on the ITV quiz show The Chase. Wallace is a part-time lecturer and visits schools, colleges and other institutions to educate students on aspects of law. In 2004, he won Mastermind and was ranked 286th in the World Quizzing Championships in 2012.
Career
Law
Wallace was called to the Bar in November 1984 and in 1986 completed pupilage. He has taken part in hearings held at both the Old Bailey as well as several magistrates' courts located in England and Wales and also in Scotland. He was a member of Farringdon Barristers Chambers until February 2012, when it was announced that he had joined Great James Street Chambers. On 26 October 2016, Wallace was found to have failed to comply with his duty while representing a defendant in criminal proceedings. He was reprimanded and fined £2500. Wallace is also a member of the southeastern circuit of the Criminal Bar Association. Owing to his heritage, he has been a member of the Jamaican Bar since 1999.
Television
In 2004, Wallace became a champion of the BBCgeneral knowledge quizMastermind, which also tests a contestant's aptitude on a subject of their choice. His specialist subject in the final was FA Cup Finals. Wallace was a finalist on the first series of Are You an Egghead?, narrowly losing out to Barry Simmons. Other shows that he has been a contestant on include Fifteen to One and The Weakest Link, plus the British adaptation of Greed. Since 2009, Wallace has appeared as a "chaser" on the UK television seriesThe Chase, a teatime game show which airs on ITV. His nickname on the show is "The Dark Destroyer". His catch phrases are "Just another day at the office", "I never take anything for granted", and "One-question shoot-out". The other chasers are Anne Hegerty, Paul Sinha, Mark Labbett, Jenny Ryan and Darragh Ennis. He also appears on the celebrity editions of The Chase. In 2018, he featured as a guest chaser on the Australian version of the show, alongside fellow UK chasers Hegerty and Labbett. In 2018, his autobiography, Chasing the Dream, was released. In 2019, Wallace appeared on the celebrity version of Catchphrase. He also appeared as a guest in "Dictionary Corner" on the Channel 4 gameshow Countdown. Wallace took part in the "Junk Food Experiment" in 2019.
In 2005, Wallace stood as an independent parliamentary candidate, standing in the Brent South constituency in north London. He obtained 1% of the vote, losing to Labour's Dawn Butler.
Personal life
Wallace is of Jamaican heritage. The eldest of four children, he is a football fan and a supporter of Chelsea.
