Issa Schultz
Issa Schultz (born 1 March 1984) is a British-Australian television quiz personality best known for being one of the "chasers" on The Chase Australia, where he is nicknamed "The Supernerd". In addition to his current role on The Chase Australia, Schultz is also a twelve-time winner of the Australian Quizzing Championships (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and seven-time Pairs champion (2012–17, 2020). He also appeared on The Rich List, where he won $200,000 in 2009, as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Einstein Factor. His name Issa is an Arabic version of the name "Jesus", which he was named after a best friend of his parents when they worked in Qatar in the 1970s. Schultz and his family moved to Australia from Britain in 1995. They settled in Tewantin, Queensland and Schultz attended Tewantin State School and Noosa District State High School. He was one of the four school captains in 2001. In 2017, Schultz appeared as a celebrity contestant on Hell's Kitchen Australia. Schultz placed 15th in the 2025 World Quizzing Championships, and has been the top-ranked Australian competitor twelve times since 2011. In March 2022, he stood in for Anne Hegerty in ITV's Beat the Chasers after Hegerty tested positive for COVID-19. Schultz also competed in the twentieth series of Dancing with the Stars in early 2023. He was paired with professional Tasmanian dancer Lily Cornish. In November 2024, Schultz represented Australia at the III Quiz Olympiad in Spain. In November 2025, Schultz appeared as a chaser on The Chase New Zealand in a four-episode special series.
 | This article needs biographical images. (May 2025) |
Issa Schultz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 March 1984 |
| Other names | "The Supernerd" |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom, Australia |
| Occupation | Television quiz personality |
| Known for | The Chase Australia Hell's Kitchen Australia |
Issa Schultz (born 1 March 1984)[1] is a British-Australian television quiz personality best known for being one of the "chasers" on The Chase Australia, where he is nicknamed "The Supernerd".[2]
In addition to his current role on The Chase Australia, Schultz is also a twelve-time winner of the Australian Quizzing Championships (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)[3][4] and seven-time Pairs champion (2012–17, 2020). He also appeared on The Rich List, where he won $200,000 in 2009, as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Einstein Factor.[2][5]
His name Issa is an Arabic version of the name "Jesus", which he was named after a best friend of his parents when they worked in Qatar in the 1970s.[6] Schultz and his family moved to Australia from Britain in 1995.[7] They settled in Tewantin, Queensland and Schultz attended Tewantin State School and Noosa District State High School. He was one of the four school captains in 2001.[8]
In 2017, Schultz appeared as a celebrity contestant on Hell's Kitchen Australia.[9][10]
Schultz placed 15th in the 2025 World Quizzing Championships,[11] and has been the top-ranked Australian competitor twelve times since 2011.[12]
In March 2022, he stood in for Anne Hegerty in ITV's Beat the Chasers after Hegerty tested positive for COVID-19.[13]
Schultz also competed in the twentieth series of Dancing with the Stars in early 2023. He was paired with professional Tasmanian dancer Lily Cornish.[14][15]
In November 2024, Schultz represented Australia at the III Quiz Olympiad in Spain.
In November 2025, Schultz appeared as a chaser on The Chase New Zealand in a four-episode special series.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Issa Schultz (@Issa25)". Twitter. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Seven previews The Chase". Mediaweek. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Press Release: "Supernerd" regains national quiz title". prwire.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ^ "All the results are now final. Congratulations to the Top 10 Australians at the 2018 World Quiz Championships. Issa Supernerd Schultz claims his sixth national title". Facebook. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2023. [user-generated source]
- ^ "Master of trivia to be crowned on the Gold Coast". Pan Pacific Masters Games. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ "The Chase Australia" (PDF). p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ Dale, David (4 October 2015). "Other game shows 'too slow' for The Chase's Supernerd". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ Rex, Sarah (13 February 2016). "The Supernerd – one of the smartest men on television". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ Saw, Amelia (24 March 2017). "The celebrities taking on Marco Pierre White in Hell's Kitchen Australia are named". news.com.au. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ Coster, Alice (24 March 2017). "Hell's Kitchen Australia host doesn't know the celebrity contestants". Herald Sun. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ "Results – World Quizzing Championships". Quizzing.com. Quizzing Interactive Ltd. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ "Quizzing Australia - Quiz Results". Quizzing Australia. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ Rouse, Sabina (18 March 2022). "Anne Hegerty forced to pull out of Beat the Chasers as she announces replacement". Express. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ Harris, Rachel (14 June 2023). "Supernerd Issa Shultz takes on Dancing With the Stars". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ Christmass, Pip (14 June 2023). "Dancing With the Stars: The Chase Supernerd Issa Schultz takes to the dancefloor". Seven News. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Chase heavyweights The Governess and The Supernerd join The Chase NZ". 1News. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
External links
[edit]- "Supernerd". Yahoo!7. The Chase Australia. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- Issa Schultz at IMDb
- Issa Schultz on X