The Chase star who died before show airs leaves amazing gesture from beyond grave

Retired headteacher from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, has sadly died just a monthafter winning a £100,000 jackpot on the popular ITV quiz show The Chase - but he had one special gesture waiting for his family and friends when the episode aired.

Tim McCarthy, 64, died in July following a long battle with illness. His wife, Rachel McCarthy, later revealed that Tim had been diagnosed with a terminal condition prior to filming the show and knew he had only a limited time left to live, knowing that he wouldn't be around long enough to see his own episode air.

Despite his prognosis, Tim chose to take part in the show, recording his episode several months before his passing. Under the programme’s strict confidentiality agreement, he was unable to share the outcome of the episode publicly.

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This meant that none of his friends knew that he had gone on to win the £100,000 jackpot, leaving behind a legacy for his family before his death.

“Only myself and our three children knew he had won,” Rachel told the BBC, explaining how the family had quietly celebrated his extraordinary success in private.

A crowd of friends and family packed into his local Manchester pub last night to watch Tim episode of The Chase, unaware of the result he had sadly taken to the grave.

Taking to social media after the emotional night while watching Tim beat The Chaser, one of his old friends revealed that before his death, Tim had put money behind the bar in his local pub for everyone who tuned in to watch the episode together.

Tim's pal explained: "Was a friend of Tim’s for over a decade, and watched it last night in one of his locals from when he’d been working down in Sussex. He’d even put money behind the bar so people could have a drink when it aired. Emotional day, celebrating a wonderful bloke."

The Chase contestant, who died in July after a terminal illness, appeared alongside teammates Lorcan, Shirin, and Julie in the high-stakes game against Jenny "The Vixen" Ryan.

Lorcan added £5,000 to the team’s total, but both Shirin and Julie were knocked out during their individual rounds. Despite a shaky start with just £1,000 earned in the cash builder, Tim took a bold leap in his head-to-head, choosing the highest offer of £95,000.

Against the odds, he beat the Chaser, securing a staggering £100,000 total for the team.

Speaking to the BBC, Tim’s widow Rachel said, "He was so excited when he was selected for the show even though he was very ill. Watching the episode was going to be very difficult, but it was part of his bucket list."

Rachel added that Tim had known he had only months left to live when he filmed the show. "He was the most clever man I ever knew," she gushed.

Another one of Tim's friends told the BBC: "We lost Tim last month. He never told us how he did, he wasn’t allowed to. He loved to keep us guessing though. We will be gathering round our set with friends to watch our very good friend Tim battle it out with the Chasers."

Tim's pal added:"I know a few other establishments up and down the country will be joining in to celebrate this moment."

Tim’s brilliance extended far beyond the quiz show stage as he graduated with an incredibly impressive physics degree from the University of Manchester at just 19-years-old.

He then became principal of Stockport Academy, and later founded the Aurora Academies Trust, establishing schools across the UK, Dubai, and India.

In 2000, while deputy head at Avondale High School in Stockport, Tim famously bet his students would improve their GCSE scores and won £1,000 before sharing the prize in a school-wide celebration. Years earlier, he even funded his honeymoon to Venice with a winning horse bet in 1994.

Following the news of Tim's passing, The Chase fans have taken to social media to honour the late headteacher. One wrote on Instagram: "Tim just won £100,000 for his family knowing he didn't have long left to live. Sadly, he never got to see the episode air. What a man, what a legacy."

Another echoed: "He went high and won it for his family. Tim, you will forever be THAT guy. RIP." Another viewer added: "Ah watched it last night but didn’t know anything about the story behind the man . He came across as a real gentleman. Condolences to his family."

Someone else wrote: "That's why his friends and family packed in his local pub last night, to watch him become a Chase legend and walk away with £100,000. The Chase was his favourite show and he's now a Hall of Famer on it."

One of Tim's former students also shared their respect for the teach as they wrote: "Mr. McCarthy taught me science in high school the mid 80s. One of the only teachers I ever liked. He took time to help you learn and treated all his pupils with a respect that made you sit up and listen (Probably not an easy task in a fairly rough Manchester suburb) definitely one of the good guys, RIP."

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