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'{{short description|British television personality & barrister}} {{for|similarly named people|Shaun Wallace (disambiguation)}}{{EngvarB|date=December 2017}} {{distinguish|Wallace Shawn}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Shaun Wallace | image = File:Shaun wallace.jpg | caption = Wallace receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Law in 2015 | years active = | birth_name = Shaun Anthony Linford Wallace<ref name="Brent 2005">{{cite web |title=Election results for Brent South | date=5 May 2005 |url=http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=30 |publisher=Brent London Borough Council |access-date=12 June 2013}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1960|6|2}}<ref>{{cite episode | title = The Chase | date = 2 April 2012 }}</ref> | birth_place = [[London]], England | other_names = The Dark Destroyer (UK) <br> The Destroyer (Australia) <br> The Barrister <br> The Legal Eagle <br> The Mastermind Champ | occupation = [[Barrister]], part-time lecturer and television personality | credits = ''[[The Chase (British game show)|The Chase]]'' (2009–present)<br>''[[The Chase Australia]]'' (2018) }} '''Shaun Anthony Linford Wallace''' (born 2 June 1960) is an English [[barrister]], lecturer and television personality. He is one of the six "chasers" on the [[ITV Network|ITV]] quiz show ''[[The Chase (British game 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 (TV series)|Mastermind]]'' and was ranked 286th in the World Quizzing Championships in 2012. ==Career== ===Law=== Wallace was [[call to the bar|called to the Bar]] in November 1984<ref name="BDT">{{cite web |url=https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/complaints-and-professional-conduct/disciplinary-tribunals-and-findings/past-findings-and-future-hearings/?DisciplineID=165445 |title=Past findings and future hearings:Disciplinary Finding Details |publisher=[[Bar Standards Board]] |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> and in 1986 completed pupilage. He has taken part in hearings held at both the [[Old Bailey]] as well as several [[magistrates' court (England and Wales)|magistrates' courts]] located in [[England and Wales]] and also in [[Scotland]]. He was a member of [[Farringdon, London|Farringdon]] Barristers Chambers until February 2012, when it was announced that he had joined Great James Street Chambers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://greatjames.co.uk/chambers-are-pleased-to-welcome-shaun-wallace-to-chambers |title=Shaun Wallace joins chambers Great James Street |publisher=[[Great James Street]] |date=February 2012 |access-date=21 April 2016}}</ref> On 26 October 2016, Wallace was found to have failed to comply with his duty while representing a defendant in criminal proceedings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/quiz-show-barrister-fined-and-reprimanded-by-bsb/5058668.article |title=Quiz show barrister fined and reprimanded by BSB |work=[[Law Gazette]] |date=4 November 2016 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="BDT"/> 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.<ref name="Farringdon" /> ===Television=== In 2004, Wallace became a champion of the [[BBC]] [[game show|general knowledge quiz]], ''[[Mastermind (TV series)|Mastermind]]'', which also tests a contestant's aptitude on a subject of their choice. His specialist subject in the final was [[FA Cup Final]]s. Wallace was a finalist on the first series of ''[[Are You an Egghead?]]'', narrowly losing out to [[Barry Simmons]].{{cn|date=May 2021}} Other shows that he has been a contestant on include ''[[Fifteen to One]]'' and ''[[The Weakest Link]]'',<ref name="Farringdon">{{cite web |url=http://www.farringdon-law.co.uk/shaunwallace/ |title=Farringdon Chambers |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326073228/http://www.farringdon-law.co.uk/shaunwallace/ |archive-date=26 March 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> plus the British adaptation of ''[[Greed (UK game show)|Greed]]''.<ref>{{cite episode |series=[[Greed (UK game show)|Greed]] |network=[[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] |date=9 June 2001 |season=1 |number=11}}</ref> Since 2009, Wallace has appeared as a "chaser" on the UK television series ''[[The Chase (British game show)|The Chase]]'', a teatime game show which airs on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]. His nickname on the show is "The Dark Destroyer". The other chasers are [[Anne Hegerty]], [[Paul Sinha]], [[Mark Labbett]], [[Jenny Ryan]] and [[Darragh Ennis]].<ref name="Ennis">{{cite magazine |last=Morris |first=Lauren |date=17 April 2020 |title=The Chase introduces new Chaser: Who is Darragh Ennis? |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-04-17/the-chase-new-chaser-who-is-darragh-ennis/ |magazine=Radio Times}}</ref> He also appears on ''The Chase: Celebrity Special'', ''The Family Chase'', and ''Beat The Chasers''. In 2018, he featured as a guest chaser on the [[The Chase Australia|Australian version of the show]], alongside fellow UK chasers Hegerty and Labbett.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/fiona-byrne/gossip-queen-the-chase-uks-shaun-wallace-to-be-guest-chaser-in-2018/news-story/b4013451698d967e1613c0cab97f0c74 |title=Gossip Queen: The Chase UK's Shaun Wallace to be guest Chaser in 2018 |work=Herald Sun |first=Fiona |last=Byrne |date=31 December 2017 |access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref> In Australia, he is known as "The Destroyer" owing to Australian concerns that the original nickname contained racial undertones, which Wallace himself disputed.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/the-chases-shaun-wallace-hits-back-at-claims-his-dark-destroyer-nickname-is-racist/Z5LENVSMLXY2BQ6ZEETJLTGRDY/ | title=Chaser Shaun Wallace: 'Dark Destroyer' nickname not racist |work=New Zealand Herald |accessdate=2022-11-03}}</ref> In 2018, his autobiography, ''Chasing the Dream'', was released.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cranthorpemillner.com/product/shaun-wallace-chasing-the-dream/ |title=Shaun Wallace – Chasing the Dream|date=10 June 2023 }}</ref> In 2019, Wallace appeared on the celebrity version of ''[[Catchphrase (British game show)|Catchphrase]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep2week4/celebrity-catchphrase |title=Celebrity Catchphrase Episode 2 |website=Press Centre |access-date=2019-01-19}}</ref> He also appeared as a guest in "Dictionary Corner" on the [[Channel 4]] gameshow ''[[Countdown (game show)|Countdown]]''. Wallace took part in the "Junk Food Experiment" in 2019. In June 2020, Wallace appeared as an assistant in ''[[Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow]]'', for the "[[Take Your Pick!]]" episode. In October 2020, Wallace appeared as a Black history month reporter for ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]''. In November 2020, Wallace took part as a contestant in [[ITV (TV network)|ITV's]] ''Don't Rock The Boat'', a rowing competition show.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meet the star-studded cast of ITV's Don't Rock the Boat|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-10-28/dont-rock-the-boat-cast-itv/|access-date=2020-11-18|website=Radio Times|language=en}}</ref> ===Qualifications=== * BA (Hons), barrister, [[Inns of Court School of Law]]. * Alumnus, [[Polytechnic of North London]]. * Honorary Doctorate of Law awarded in July 2015 from [[London Metropolitan University]]. ===Political activity and public activism=== [[File:Shaun Wallace addresses the rally supporting barristers' industrial action outside the Supreme Court, London, 11 July 2022.jpg|thumb|Wallace addresses a rally supporting the industrial action outside the Supreme Court, London, 11 July 2022]] At the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 UK general election]], Wallace stood as an [[Independent politician|independent]] [[parliamentary candidate]], standing in the [[Brent South (UK Parliament constituency)|Brent South]] constituency in north London.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=London Metropolitan University |url=http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/news/latest-news/shaun-wallace-election.cfm |title=News – London Metropolitan University |access-date=12 June 2013}}</ref> He came fourth obtaining 297 votes (1.17% of the vote), losing to [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s [[Dawn Butler]] with 17501 votes (69.23% of the vote). In 2022, he supported the [[2022 British barristers' industrial action|criminal barristers' industrial action]] over pay. Joining colleagues on a [[Picketing|picket line]] outside the [[Supreme Court of England and Wales|Supreme Court]] in London, Wallace said that [[legal aid]] fees should be increased to encourage young people and those from a diversity of backgrounds to become barristers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baksi |first1=Catherine |title='I'm a barrister who happens to be on television; not the other way round' |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/im-a-barrister-who-happens-to-be-on-television-not-the-other-way-round-m2bf3x6c5 |access-date=1 September 2022 |work=[[The Times]] |date=21 July 2022}}</ref> == Personal life== Wallace was born on 2 June 1960 at [[Central Middlesex Hospital]] in [[London]]. He grew up in [[Wembley]] and attended [[Ark Elvin Academy|Copland School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTvkyqnAiM|title=Shaun Wallace and how ITV's The Chase began! KKPC #22|date=July 10, 2018|work=YouTube}}</ref> He is of [[Jamaican people|Jamaican]] heritage and is the eldest of four children. He is a football fan and a supporter of [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quiz-genius.com/Shaun%20Wallace%20Interview.html |website=quiz-genius.com |title=Exclusive Interview With Shaun Wallace |access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref> In 2022, Wallace appeared on the ITV programme ''DNA Journey'', which revealed many details about his African ancestry in [[Nigeria]], his Caribbean ancestry in [[Jamaica]] and many other links to several other African countries besides Nigeria. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Shaun Wallace embarks on emotional DNA Journey with Anne Hegerty |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/dna-journey-shaun-wallace-exclusive-newsupdate/ |access-date= |website=Radio Times |language=}}</ref> ==Television== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Channel |- |2009–present |''[[The Chase (British game show)|The Chase]]'' | rowspan="2" |Chaser |[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] |- |2018 |''[[The Chase Australia]] (guest chaser)'' |[[Seven Network|Channel 7]] |- |2019 |[[Catchphrase (British game show)|''Celebrity Catchphrase'']] |Contestant |[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] |- |2019 |[[Countdown (game show)|''Countdown'']] |Guest |[[Channel 4]] |- |2019 |''The Junk Food Experiment'' |Himself | rowspan="7" |[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] |- |2020, 2022 |''[[Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow]]'' |Himself; assistant |- |2020 |''[[Sorry, I Didn't Know]]'' | rowspan="2" |Himself |- |2020 |''Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh'' |- |2020 |''Don't Rock The Boat'' |Contestant |- | 2021 |''The Chasers Road Trip: Trains Brains and Automobiles'' | Himself |- | 2022 |''DNA Journey'' | Himself |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|3597321}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Shaun}} [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Lawyers from London]] [[Category:Television personalities from London]] [[Category:English barristers]] [[Category:English television personalities]] [[Category:English people of Jamaican descent]] [[Category:Black British television personalities]] [[Category:Contestants on British game shows]] [[Category:Alumni of the Inns of Court School of Law]]'