Anne Hegerty struggles with intimacy

Anne Hegerty never "falls in love" with real people.

The 61-year-old quizzer - who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, in her 40s - feels "overwhelmed" by intimacy "shuts down" in the presence of other people and admitted those she falls for are typically fictional characters or historical figures.

She said: "What I have found is that I do fall in love but it tends not to be with people I meet in real life. I fall in love with historical or fictional characters. People I can put a bit of distance between.

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"I get overwhelmed in the presence of actual people and everything shuts down.

"I\'ve found that with sex too. It\'s like I can\'t be fully in it

"That much intimacy, I almost zone out."

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If she does find love, the \'Chase\' star would rather not date someone else with autism.

She told OK! magazine: "I think I would prefer not to be with a someone with autism. It does depend on the bloke though, they are all so different."

Anne also admitted she is "loving" being in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic because she doesn\'t enjoy having to socialise with other people.

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Asked how she is coping, she said: "I think I\'m the one person in Britain who is loving it. I don\'t want it to end.

"I do for the sake of other people, but personally, I\'m having a great time. That\'s because it\'s not my fault that I\'m not being sociable.

"People might want to see me but there\'s a big pandemic stopping me going out. It takes the blame off me."