'We sold out within nine hours of launching it and it was a fantastic night'

ITV' s 'Dark Destroyer' Shaun Wallace put Leighton Buzzard residents to the test when he came to host a charity quiz at The Dine Yard.

The Chase star picked residents' brains and stretched their knowledge to raise money for Willen Hospice, which is based in Milton Keynes and provides end of life palliative care.

Kind-hearted businesses also donated raffle prizes for the evening, and after the game the players loved quizzing Shaun about his television adventures.

Shaun with the winners. Image: The Dine Yard.

placeholder image — Shaun with the winners. Image: The Dine Yard.

Owner of The Dine Yard, James Pratt, told the LBO: "We sold out within nine hours of launching it and it was a fantastic night, really really good.

"We raised £990 in total, just shy of £1,000. The top three teams got prizes, and there was also a wooden spoon prize.

"Shaun is just your normal average guy; he was really funny, had a good laugh, took photos with people and made time for every table there. He was great."

James's father-in-law, Graham Blower, is a friend of Shaun's and fellow barrister, and even helped him brush up on his general knowledge before appearing on The Chase.

James added: "We thought we'd try something a bit different. My father-in-law is good friends with Shaun and when Shaun was training for the show, Graham used to ask him questions during their lunchbreaks.

"We asked Shaun whether he would be interested in helping us and he jumped at the chance.

"He was quiz master and arranged the quiz himself. The questions were tough, but not unreasonably tough, and they were varied."

Meanwhile, Willen Hospice is a cause close to James's heart, as its staff cared for his late mother-in-law Sarah Blower, who passed away eight years ago.

He told the LBO that the charity were "over the moon" with the donation, and that the restaurant will receive a certificate.

He added: "It's an absolutely fantastic charity. They do so much within the local community and they rely solely on donations to keep the place going. It's a massive operation that requires a lot of money. I'd encourage anyone to donate or be part of it."

James and his team at The Dine Yard would like to say a huge thank you to Shaun, the local business and individuals who donated raffle prizes and to everyone who came along to support the quiz.

To find out more about Willen Hospice, visit: https://www.willen-hospice.org.uk/