A former contestant on ITV’s The Chase has opened up about the strict rules in place when it comes to sharing the prize fund
A past participant from The Chase has disclosed what transpires when a team triumphs on the show, including the guidance ITV provides about sharing the prize fund with teammates who were eliminated.
Fans of the ITV quiz programme know that victories are few and far between. Contestants band together in a group of four to pit their wits against one of the formidable Chasers – a line-up featuring Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Jenny Ryan, Darragh Ennis, and Paul Sinha.
These trivia experts are known by their monikers: The Beast, The Dark Destroyer, The Governess, The Vixen, The Menace, and The Sinnerman. Following individual rounds where contestants aim to reach the final without being caught, they collectively face off against the Chaser in a last round of general knowledge questions.
Should the team outsmart the Chaser, they win the accumulated prize pot, which is then split among those who made it through. However, it appears that if a team member is ousted before the final chase, there’s an implicit suggestion not to share any winnings with those who were previously eliminated, reports the Mirror.
Steven Sneade, 69, from Liverpool, who once competed on the show, shared his insights with the Daily Mail. He explained: “If you win you have to sign another contract as you’re accepting money from them. They told us not to give money to the contestants who didn’t win money just because you feel sorry for them.
“They can’t stop you, but I think they just don’t want you to have that in mind. They said it could take three months, but I had it in a week.”
Since its debut in 2009, The Chase has broadcast over 2,500 episodes and remains a staple of British television. The show is presided over by Bradley Walsh, aged 65, who also presents an array of other programmes, including the BBC’s Gladiators.
Despite steering the show for 16 years, Walsh has expressed his commitment to continue hosting as long as the audience remains engaged. In a recent interview, he stated his stance on leaving the show: “Until people say they’ve had enough and start switching off, I’ll do it. We’ve had such an extraordinary time together. It’s the best job in the world.”
Walsh also reminisced about the initial pilot episode filmed in 2008, which featured chasers Shaun Wallace and Mark Labbett. He shared: “The audience was made up of ITV bosses and they found someone in the office to be a contestant.
“Straight away I took the contestant’s side. I saw the Chasers as these big, all-knowing, bully types, so I started taking the mickey out of them. When they got a question wrong, I really gave it to them, and everyone was laughing. That’s when I knew we had something.”
The success of The Chase has led to the creation of various spin-offs, including celebrity editions and a format where contestants face the entire roster of chasers.
The Chase has made its mark globally, with adaptations of the show airing in 20 countries including Australia, the USA, Spain and Germany. Some familiar faces from the UK version have even graced the international stage, with Mark and Shaun making appearances on the Australian edition.
You can watch all episodes of The Chase on ITVX