‘Brilliant’ teacher died after starring on The Chase

Appearing on the show was on his bucket list

Tim McCarthy had previously been the principal of Stockport Academy, and the founding chief executive of Aurora Academies Trust.

McCarthy was known for his charisma, and once made headlines after betting his students would achieve improved GCSE grades - a bet that paid off, and which he shared with pupils and colleagues.

The 64-year-old's widow Rachel McCarthy told the BBC that it was "part of his bucket list" to go on The Chase.

"He was so excited when he was selected for the show even though he was very ill."

She said he had just months to live when he filmed the show, and that watching it would be "very difficult".

"He was the most clever man I ever knew," she added.

"He never told us who won so we can't wait to see what happened," his friend Stuart Keane said.

"He was brilliant friend with a brilliant mind."

McCarthy's local pub The Colliers aired McCarthy's episode of The Chase tonight, in a celebration of his life.

McCarthy appeared on The Chase tonight (August 27), and viewers were delighted to see he won big.

He left his fellow players shocked after taking the higher offer of £95k, and to viewers' delight, managed to win a whopping £100k jackpot for him and fellow player Lorcan.

“What a win. Especially as Tim was gravely ill at the time and died a month later. What a man," one viewer wrote online.

“#TheChase well done to Tim and Lorcan for winning £50,000 each,” another penned.

A third put: "I'm at least happy Tim got to not only win, but to got to fulfil what was told to be a life long dream."