'The Chase' star Jenny Ryan reveals why she turned down original Chaser name

Jenny Ryan has revealed why she turned down the first Chaser name that was proposed to her.

Prior to becoming The Vixen onThe Chase, bosses had suggested the quizzer's nickname as ‘The Cougar’ however she didn't think it was the right fit. Luckily host Bradley Walsh had a better one in mind.

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine on Tuesday, she said: "When I first started I had a test run, a bit of a screen test in the studio with Brad hosting. Just as a chemistry kind of test really. And I had my hair in this big ponytail.

"The producers had been trying to work out what my nickname should be, and they wanted something animal-y because I like a lot of animal print. And they suggested 'The Cougar', and I said, 'no, because I'm too young to be a cougar'.

Watch: Bradley Walsh struggles to contain his laughter at this hilarious innuendo on The Family Chase

"And Brad came up with 'The Vixen', because of the red hair, it looks like a fox's brush. And foxes are really intelligent animals and really cunning, and could be quite fast."

As well as being the name of a big cat, cougar is also the term given to an older woman with a penchant for younger men.

The latest addition to the Chaser line-up is scientist Darragh 'The Menace' Ennis. The Irish-born brainiac was previously a contestant on the programme and competed against Paul 'The Sinnerman' Sinha when he caught producers' eyes.

This week has seen Ryan return for a new series of Beat the Chasers alongside Walsh and fellow Chasers Paul Sinha, Anne Hegerty, Mark Labbett and Shaun Wallace.

Read more: Darragh Ennis auditioned for Chaser role over 4 years

The spin-off gives individual contestants the chance to take home big money by taking on all the Chasers at once, or they can opt to face just two, three or four.

The more Chasers they face, the greater the cash prize.

Watch: Anne Hegerty reflects on what life would be like without The Chase