ITV quiz show The Chase recorded its first full-team “wipeout” of the new series on Monday when all four contestants were caught by Chaser Mark Labbett before the Final Chase, leaving viewers frustrated.
Host Bradley Walsh introduced contestants Angela, Susan, Archie and Jak in the studio round. Under the show’s format, each player begins with a timed “cash builder” to win an individual amount, then faces a head-to-head chase against one of the professional quizzers for a place in the Final Chase.
Angela, the first player, scored £5,000 in her cash builder and elected to take the higher offer of £30,000 in the head-to-head. She was caught by Labbett after answering four questions. Susan won £4,000 in her cash builder and played for the same sum but was also eliminated by Labbett. Student Archie recorded £4,000 but chose the low offer of £1,000 for his head-to-head; he failed to beat the Chaser and was knocked out. Jak brought in the highest cash-builder with £6,000 and opted for the top offer of £100,000; he too was caught by Labbett.
With no players through to the Final Chase, the team nominated Jak to return for a final attempt and he was given £4,000 to play for. Jak answered 14 questions correctly in the Final Chase but Labbett closed the gap with 15 seconds to spare, denying the team the prize.
Viewers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the episode and some of the contestants’ strategic choices. One viewer questioned Archie’s decision to take the low offer, writing: “The £1k is an insult, and he chose it anyway?” Another wrote that seeing a contestant take a low offer prompted them to stop watching: “When someone takes a low offer like that, I just switch off. What’s the point?” A separate comment read: “First wipeout of this series. Oh dear. Everyone has been caught!”
The Chase, presented by Bradley Walsh, airs weekdays at 5 p.m. on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX. The programme’s format pairs contestants against a professional Chaser in a series of timed rounds: the cash builder, the head-to-head, and the Final Chase, where surviving teammates attempt to amass and protect a team prize.
Mark Labbett, known on the show as “The Beast,” has been a regular Chaser and is noted for his imposing record in head-to-head rounds. Monday’s episode marked the latest instance in which individual head-to-head outcomes combined to produce a complete team elimination before the Final Chase, a result that historically draws particular viewer attention and criticism.
Producers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The episode will be available on ITVX after its broadcast, and upcoming editions of the series will continue to follow the established three-stage format.