Tim McCarthy appeared on The Chase last night to win big for his family, but he will not be able to enjoy the £50,000 jackpot, because he died before the episode aired.
The beloved headteacher died aged 64 after a long illness a month after he was filmed on the ITV quiz show.
Metro journalist and one of his former pupils wrote about the brilliant man he remembers yesterday, revealing McCarthy saved the futures of 650 kids at Stockport Academy.
McCarthy recorded his episode of The Chase a few months ago, apparently after finding out he was terminally ill and that he didn’t have much time left.
Close friends and family gathered in a local Manchester pub The Colliers to watch the quizzer’s performance on the show.
His wife Rachel told the BBC: ‘He was so excited when he was selected for the show, even though he was very ill. [Watching the episode is] going to be very difficult, but it was part of his bucket list.’
Nobody knew if Tim won, his friend Stuart revealed to the broadcaster: ‘He never told us who won, so we can’t wait to see what happened. He was a brilliant friend with a brilliant mind.’
The episode aired last night, and saw McCarthy take home the five-figure jackpot, leaving viewers close to tears in the knowledge he is no longer around to enjoy it.
Metro journalist Rob Oliver remembers his headteacher
‘When I first met Mr McCarthy in 2005, he was the headteacher of Avondale High School – a tiny, almost forgotten school in south Manchester that had no money and had flirted with Ofsted’s special measures category.
‘Five years before I joined, Mr McCarthy had won £1,000 after placing a bet on Avondale’s graduating class of 2000 – he reckoned their GCSE results would improve on those from 1999. He shared the winnings with the kids who’d earned it.
‘He was that sort of teacher and that kind of person.
‘It was that brand of charisma, that kind of passion, and that kind of belief in the potential of children that convinced my parents to send me to Avondale – even after the headteacher of my primary school had privately implored them not to.
‘During my second year at Avondale, we got word that the school was losing money and was likely to be closed, leaving the staff and pupils with nowhere to go.
‘There were only 650 kids in the entire school, with nearby schools boasting larger numbers and better Ofsted reports. Avondale was doomed.
‘Up stepped Mr McCarthy.
‘He convinced the United Learning Trust (ULT) to part with £27million (‘and 55p!’ he would always remind us, with a laugh) and build a new school adjacent to the Avondale site, keeping everybody together.’
McCarthy – who worked for 42 years as physics and maths teacher – said he was going to give all of his winnings to his family, so they can get a decent roof on their extension as it’s ‘too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer’.
‘I genuinely don’t want any money, I’m here just to have fun’ he said, and on winning the huge sum, he added ‘As long as I’ve got £50 for a slap up meal that’ll do me.’
‘Very rare does a quiz show bring me to almost tears, but seeing Tim McCarthy winning his share of £100k tonight in The Chase for his family when he knew he hadn’t long to live is a rewarding legacy for his bravery. Sadly Tim never saw this programme air,’ said @Quizbritain on X.
‘Obviously with their permission that this episode is being aired but I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it must be for Tim’s family to watch. RIP Tim,’ said @swilliams73.
McCarthy graduated from the University of Manchester with a physics degree at the early age of 19, and he went on to launch a number of academies across the UK and abroad, as the founding chief executive of Aurora Academies Trust.
He once made headlines for betting that his pupils would improve in their GCSE results, and shared his winnings after.
The Chase airs at 5pm on ITV1 each weekday.
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