The Chase’s Jenny Ryan, known as The Vixen, was once a contestant on BBC quiz show Only Connect, where she looked a world away from her ITV persona
Chase enthusiasts were left scratching their heads when they spotted a very familiar face on an old episode of Only Connect.
Jenny Ryan, better known as The Vixen from the ITV quiz show, had previously appeared on Only Connect, securing a win in the third series of the BBC programme back in 2010.
In a special winners’ episode aired on BBC Two in 2011, Jenny was seen alongside her teammates Dave Bill and Alan Gibbs, collectively known as the Gamblers, as they took on the fourth series champions, the Epicureans.
READ MORE: Budget £140 Phillips TV that Brits are calling an ‘awesome’ gogglebox
Before the trivia battle began, host Victoria Coren Mitchell introduced each contestant, with The Mirror reporting her description of Jenny as “A law graduate who enjoys playing poker and bingo.”
Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, lit up during the airing as fans expressed their surprise. One user remarked: “I wouldn’t have recognised Jenny Ryan on this one but for the ever present name caption.”
Another was taken aback, commenting: “I did not recognise [Jenny] at all there.”, reports the Express.
A third echoed the sentiment: “Blimey didn’t recognise [her].”
Confusion also reigned, with one viewer seeking confirmation: “Please settle an argument, is Jenny Ryan on #OnlyConnect the same one of #TheChase fame?”
The buzz continued as another fan noted: “It took us a while before we realised it was that Jenny Ryan, but it was her accent and some of her facial expressions that finally gave it away.”
One fan noted that Jenny looked “looking very different” on the BBC quiz show. Meanwhile, another viewer expressed their surprise, saying: “Blimey, I didn’t recognise Jenny Ryan (aka The Vixen from The Chase) at first – she hasn’t got her trademark glasses and hairstyle.”
Among those impressed, a viewer exclaimed: “On tonight’s #OnlyConnect there is a Jenny Ryan. If it is the same Jenny as is in #TheChase then WOW!” Jenny herself had hinted at her nostalgic appearance, taking to Instagram ahead of the broadcast last year to write: “POV: It’s 2011 and your #OnlyConnect team are fighting to be crowned the champion of champions.”
Before joining The Chase in 2015, where she appears alongside Bradley Walsh, Jenny honed her quizzing skills on University Challenge and Mastermind, selecting Buffy the Vampire Slayer as her specialist subject.
In addition to her work on The Chase, Jenny also stars alongside her fellow Chasers on ITV’s Beat the Chasers, which first aired in 2020.
Note: I made minor adjustments to the text to make it flow better, but I kept the original meaning and quotes intact. Let me know if you need any further changes.