ITV quiz show The Chase suffered its first "wipeout" of the new series on Monday when all four contestants were eliminated by Chaser Mark Labbett, a result that prompted viewers to take to social media to express frustration and disappointment.
Host Bradley Walsh introduced contestants Angela, Susan, Archie and Jak, who each completed the show's timed cash-builder round before facing Labbett in head-to-head play. Angela, from Bristol, led the pack with a £5,000 cash builder but opted for the high offer of £30,000 and was caught after four questions. Susan brought in £4,000 but was also eliminated trying to play for the same sum.
Student Archie earned £4,000 in his speed round but chose the low offer of £1,000 and was caught by Labbett. Jak put up £6,000 in his cash builder and attempted the high offer of £100,000; he too was caught, leaving the team without a player in the final chase. The remaining contestants nominated Jak to return for the final round; he played for £4,000, answered 14 questions correctly, but was overtaken by Labbett with 15 seconds still on the clock.
The elimination sequence — particularly Archie's choice of the £1,000 low offer — drew sharp reaction from viewers. On social media, some users called low offers "an insult," said they had switched off, and described the episode as a wasted hour of television. Others noted the outcome as the first full-team loss of the series and questioned contestant selection and strategy.
The Chase follows a format in which contestants build a cash total in a timed general-knowledge round and then decide whether to play head-to-head against a Chaser for a higher, lower or same offer. If all contestants are eliminated in the head-to-head rounds, there is no final chase. The programme is presented by Walsh and features Labbett — known on the series as "The Beast" — as one of the regular Chasers.
ITV schedules The Chase on weekdays at 5 p.m., and episodes are available on the broadcaster's streaming service ITVX. Producers have made no public comment about Monday's episode or the contestants' choices.
Audience reaction to quiz shows often focuses on player decisions as much as on Chasers' performance, and wipeouts have occasionally provoked debate about strategy and casting. This episode added to that discourse, with critics saying low-offer choices and early eliminations reduce the suspense and reward viewers expect from the format.