The Inheritance - Catherine

Catherine
Age: 50
Location: Wales
Occupation: Former police sergeant

Why did you decide to take part in The Inheritance?
I wanted to do something completely different, something completely out of my comfort zone. I am just a 50-year-old woman who has had her career and is now in a kind of different stage of her life. And I'm so competitive, and I just really want to do something for me, so not as a cop or not as a mum, not as a wife, but something for me. Just to say I did this on my own, you know? It’s a challenge.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you think you will bring to the game?
I worked in the police for 22 years. It’s all I've known for most of my early adult life. I joined at just 20 and then left at 42, so it's a huge part of me and who I am. I now work as a therapy dog handler. I've got a dog; a cockapoo and he's our pet dog. He's 10 and is so adorable. I take him into schools and nursing homes and just enjoy watching them interact with him. He’s a greedy dog, so he enjoys the biscuits too!

Having had the kind of interactions that I've had in life through my work – previously and now – I am used to meeting completely different people every single day and quickly learning how to communicate with them in all manner of situations. Being polite, being empathetic, a little bit forceful when needed, a little bit direct because you need to be at times. I'm not afraid, through my policing, to speak up when I don't think something is right.

Would you call yourself a team player? 
I would and I’d say I’m adaptable. I’m good at leading but also at being led. I can identify areas where I know I'm strong and comfortable in leading a team. However, I can also admit when someone else is the better person to lead this team. I think I'm good at keeping spirits high and motivating people, but I'm also good at working as an individual.

You said you’re competitive; what are you like when you're playing games with friends and family?
I’m one of three sisters. I'm a twin, we've got an older sister and we're all really close. Growing up we were continuously playing board games and cards with Mum and Dad. Dad would never let us win. We're all the same, all competitive. We have lots of family gatherings now, and they always involve a quiz. It always ends up in arguments because everyone is in it to win it.

How are your powers of persuasion? Would you say you're good at influencing others? 
I think I am. I think I've got a personality that is quite endearing, I’m chatty and people gravitate towards me. I will confide in the right people and people confide in me. I'm quite good at steering a conversation, absolutely.

If you succeed, and you walk away with a large amount of money at the end of this, what are you going to spend it on? 
First of all, I would love to take us all on holiday. I come from a working-class family. My dad was a steel worker. My mum and dad are both pensioners now and they don't treat themselves and go on holidays. I’d love for us all to go together, because time is precious. Both of them suffer with their health and you just think, let’s do it while we can, treat the whole family and make some memories.