Shaun Wallace told he’d be ‘in prison or packing shelves’ by careers advisor

Shaun Wallace has spoken out about the moment his desire to become a barrister was shut down by his school career’s advisor, when he was a teenager.

The 60-year-old star of ITV’s The Chase revealed the moment during Channel 5’s documentary, Racism: My Story.

The former Mastermind champion said that he was laughed at by a teacher when he laid his plan for adulthood and was told to forget harbouring any ambitions on that front.

Shaun, who is one of the renowned Chasers on the Bradley Walsh fronted quiz show, said in the documentary: “When I was 11 years old I knew what I wanted to be in life, I wanted to be a barrister.”

He continued: “I used to watch programmes like Crown Court and my hero Rumpole of the Bailey. And when I was 11 alongside my classmate, we both wrote to the Bar council.

“And we got that letter back and it told us what we need to do qualify to be a lawyer.”

Shaun continued to say that his hopes were then mocked when he revealed them to the school’s career advisor.

He continued: “At the age of 15 you have to go and see your careers teacher, and I showed her that letter.

“‘You, Wallace? Lawyer? At best, you’re going to end up a thief and in prison and at worst you’ll probably end up packing shelves’

“I mean, she was right about me ending up in prison, only she forgot I was seeing my client and I could go home again.”

Londoner Shaun, who was born to Jamaican parents, said that even after passing the Bar he encountered racism.

He was called to the Bar in November 1984 and completed pupillage in 1988. He is also a member of the Jamaican Bar.

He said: “I was never ever told I can’t go into these chambers because you’re black, I was never told that to my face.

“But there are subtle ways of you not being taken on.

“I remember when I got called to the Bar, it was the proudest moment of my life.

“There were black barristers who were practising in the so-called ‘ghetto chambers’, they weren’t in the top sets.”

Shaun said that he had to work against this prejudice. He continued: “We had to form our own chambers in order to get work.

“I’m not using the term ‘ghetto chambers’ in a disparaging manner, that was the term they opposed on us.

“But in these so called ‘ghetto chambers’ were some brilliant criminal barristers. There’s got to be proper representation based upon the ability to do your job.”

Shaun said that it was unfair when the colour of your skin defines whether you are going to have a chance to perform the job to its fullest extent.

He added: “Once you’ve got your ability to do your job, I see no reason why you can’t do that job, and if you’re not getting that job, I see no reason why you can’t get that job.

“And if you can’t get that job, there must be a reason why – the colour of your skin.”

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