Anne Hegerty, known from The Chase, shared that her biggest fear about dating is having a man invade her personal space.

The quizzer, who was diagnosed with autism at 45, opened up about her challenges, mentioning a time when she unplugged her phone to stop a boyfriend from contacting her.

At The Paul Strank Roofing Charity Gala in Kensington, London, she honestly said that she thinks she would make a terrible partner.

Anne, 66, said, “I really struggle with being close to others and having anyone else in the house.

“I think a lot of autistic people don’t get married or settle down.”

Anne explained, “I don’t even have pets because of this, and my ability to live with other people is getting smaller. I need a lot of alone time.

“I always feel like I need more space than anyone can give me. If I wanted a relationship, I could find one, but honestly, I don’t.”

She also mentioned that her longest relationship only lasted four months. Reflecting on that time, she said, “It only worked for those few months because I was in Manchester. I kind of set it up so it wouldn’t last.”

In the end, she wrote to him to end things. “I remember crying with relief and then crying with guilt,” she shared.

Anne felt overwhelmed during that relationship. “Sometimes, I unplugged the phone because he tried to call me every day. I just wanted it to be over.

“I’d sit there waiting for the phone to ring, thinking, ‘Don’t phone, don’t phone, don’t phone!’ Other times, to get over the waiting, I’d call him, but that made him think I wanted to talk. I really just wanted to end it. I didn’t want to talk to him or anyone!”

Anne joked that she hasn’t lacked offers from admirers who seem to like her “Mrs. Trunchbull” Governess outfit.

She said, “I’m sure some people are attracted to the whole look of The Governess. I think there are some who might be interested if they let me.”

Anne said, “I do meet attractive men, but I know it won’t work out. I feel like it’s not fair to them because I won’t treat them well.”

She added, “I always want more space than they can give me. If I wanted a relationship, I could find someone, but I don’t.”

She thinks it’s better not to date at all and enjoys having men as friends more than women. She recalled a quiz she attended in June, where a woman pointed out they were the only two women in the room, but Anne hadn’t even noticed because she was talking to her male friends.

Anne also shared that this is part of why she never had children, even though she is great with kids. “I did want children, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it very well.”

About 20 years ago, two kids from her neighborhood used to come over. “We limited their visits to just one hour a day, but they always wanted to stay longer. They were wonderful kids, and we’re now friends on Facebook, but I couldn’t handle that for more than an hour.”

Anne takes her role as godmother to Mark “Beast” Labbett’s eight-year-old son, Lawrence, very seriously.

She said, “Lawrence’s birthday is at the end of November, so I usually send a birthday and Christmas present at the same time—but they are not the same gift. My parents had winter birthdays, and I knew they hated getting just one present for two celebrations.”

Anne joked that one of the gifts she gave Lawrence was a bit inappropriate—a toy crossbow. “So, weaponry,” she laughed. “But lately, I’ve been giving him Minecraft vouchers since he really loves that.”

She also mentioned that she has spent Christmas alone for the past 40 years. That’s why she’s especially happy to be playing the Fairy Godmother in this year’s panto, Cinderella, in Scarborough.

Anne, who was on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here in 2018, said, “Now that I’m in panto, I can say, ‘Sorry, I’m in Scarborough!’ and that’s my only day off.”

She sees it as a great day off. Even though many people invite her to spend Christmas with them, she prefers not to. “I don’t do Christmas dinner or a tree. When I was a kid, I just remember all the pine needles everywhere!”

Earlier this year, Anne took on another acting role, making a cameo as a neighbor in a film called Exorcising Barry, which is about a man obsessed with a demon.

Anne said that any chance of going to Hollywood is out of the question.

She explained, “America wouldn’t want me because I’m fat. I have a friend who went there for work, and even though she looks amazing, they told her she needed to lose weight. I’m fine with how I am, but they don’t like fat British actresses.”

Despite this, she has had great success in Britain. Talking about The Chase’s recent National Television Award win, she said, “I’m so happy. Bradley Walsh is amazing. It’s been 14 years, and I love it.”

She added, “Other kids used to sing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush. When I was younger, I practiced being interviewed for when I became famous. I don’t know why, but it’s always been my dream.”

I Discovered 13 Mysterious Candles and My Photo in My MIL’s Basement—The Shocking Truth

I Discovered 13 Mysterious Candles and My Photo in My MIL’s Basement—The Shocking Truth

It was just supposed to be a regular family celebration—my mother-in-law’s birthday. But when I went into the basement, I found something shocking: a ritual that made me question everything, especially the woman who raised my husband.

Honestly, this was wild! My mother-in-law has really lost it!

So, here’s what happened.

It was Jane’s birthday party. The whole family was there, and everything seemed fine. People were laughing, drinks were flowing, and she was acting sweet and welcoming.

You know, typical family stuff. I had only been married to Willis for a month, so I was still figuring out the whole in-law situation and trying to get along. But if someone had told me earlier what I was about to find, I would have thought they were joking.

Willis and I were in the living room with the guests when Jane, my mother-in-law, casually mentioned we were out of wine.

“Chelsea, dear, could you and Willis go down to the basement and get some bottles for the guests?” she asked, smiling in that warm but slightly forced way she always did. I didn’t think much of it, so I nodded and followed Willis downstairs.

The moment we stepped into the basement, something felt off. Maybe it was the musty smell, the dim lighting, or just a feeling deep in my gut telling me to leave. There was an eerie silence that hung in the air like a bad sign. I glanced at Willis, but he seemed completely unaware of anything unusual.

He walked straight to the wine rack, chatting about how his mom loved a good Chardonnay, while I lingered by the stairs, looking around. That’s when I saw it.

In the far corner of the basement, past the shelves of old family albums and dusty boxes, was a small table. On it sat a framed photo of… me.

“Uh, Willis?” I called out, my voice a bit shaky.

“What’s up?” he replied, still focused on grabbing a bottle.

“There’s a picture of me over here…”

He stood up, holding two bottles of wine, and walked over, looking confused. I pointed to the table, and that’s when he noticed it too.

“Why is your picture here?” he muttered. That’s when I spotted the candles.

Thirteen candles. Eight were lined up in front of my photo, one in each corner of the room, and one right in the center, right on the floor.

“What the hell?” I whispered, feeling my stomach drop. “Why are there candles? And why are they all around my photo?”

Willis blinked, just as shocked. “I…I don’t know. This is weird.”

“Weird?” I snapped, my voice rising. “This is more than weird, Willis! This is freakin’ creepy!”

I rushed to the table, my heart racing with questions. Why would Jane have a picture of me like this? Was it some sort of ritual? A strange family tradition? Or something darker?

I turned to Willis, my heart pounding, feeling like I had stepped into a horror movie. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide with disbelief, as if he had seen something much worse than just a weird setup of candles and my photo.

“Willis,” I whispered, barely able to speak. “What… What is this? What’s happening?”

He didn’t respond right away. He just stood there, staring at the candles, his breathing shallow. I could see the panic building in his eyes, the kind of fear that freezes you.

“Willis?” I repeated, my voice trembling. “Please, talk to me.”

Finally, he turned to me, his lips parting slightly, but no words came out. After what felt like forever, he spoke, his voice hoarse and shaky. “I… I think my mother’s been using a spell,” he stammered.

“A curse?” My stomach dropped. “What are you talking about?”

He took a deep breath, clearly struggling with whatever awful truth he was about to share. “My grandmother… she was into all this—this dark stuff. Witchcraft, curses, spells. I—I never believed it, but…”

He ran a hand through his hair, his voice almost breaking. “She taught my mom everything. And I think—Chelsea, I think my mom’s been trying to curse you.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. “Curse me? For what?”

I blinked, and there it was: positive.

“Willis!” I shouted, barely able to contain my excitement. “Willis, come here!”

He rushed in, panic flashing across his face. “What? What’s wrong?”

I held up the test, my hands shaking. “I’m pregnant,” I whispered, tears spilling down my cheeks.

For a moment, he just stared at me, his mouth hanging open in shock. Then his face broke into the biggest smile I had ever seen.

“You’re—wait, we’re—” He stammered, pulling me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe. “We’re having a baby?!”