Retired headteacher wins £100,000 on The Chase aired after his death

A retired headteacher from Greater Manchester who won a £100,000 jackpot on ITV quiz show The Chase died in July after a long illness, his family and friends said, with the episode in which he triumphed airing after his death. Tim McCarthy, 64, of Tyldesley, recorded the show while aware he had a terminal condition but was unable to disclose the result until the programme was broadcast because of confidentiality rules, his widow said.

McCarthy appeared on the episode alongside teammates Lorcan, Shirin and Julie to face Chaser Jenny Ryan. According to accounts from family and friends, Lorcan banked £5,000 for the prize fund and both Shirin and Julie were eliminated. McCarthy initially secured just £1,000 in his cash-builder round but chose the highest head-to-head offer of £95,000. He beat the Chaser, taking the team total to £100,000, and he and Lorcan went on to win the final with less than a second remaining, several viewers and attendees reported.

His wife, Rachel McCarthy, told the BBC that he had been "so excited" to be selected for the show despite his illness and that watching the broadcast would be difficult but was part of his "bucket list." She said only she and their...