Fans of The Chase are calling on ITV to introduce a major rule change to the popular daytime quiz show after a recent episode left viewers frustrated.
As host Bradley Walsh welcomed contestants Dylan, Jade, Rachel, and Tom, the game began in familiar fashion.
Dylan set the pace, securing £4,000 in his cash builder round. Despite encouragement from his teammates to stick with his earnings in his head-to-head battle against Shaun ‘The Dark Destroyer’ Wallace, he opted for the “safest” bet—taking the low offer of £1,000. Shaun almost caught him, chasing him all the way to the bottom of the board, but Dylan scraped through with a stroke of luck.
Next up was Jade, who scored £2,000 in her cash builder. Although she initially planned to play for her full earnings, she also chose the low offer of £1,000 before being eliminated. Rachel followed suit, bagging £3,000 in her cash builder before also opting for the £1,000 low offer.
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Finally, to viewers' amazement, Tom—who had earned the highest amount with £6,000—still went for the low offer. He made it through, leaving the team with a total prize pot of just £3,000.
The overly cautious gameplay enraged fans, who took to social media to demand rule changes that would discourage players from taking the easy route.
One viewer ranted: “The minus offer on The Chase should always be -5k minimum. That’ll stop the frauds from bottling it.”
Another fumed: “#TheChase is turning into a farce. @ITV All 4 contestants going low is a new low. I wonder how many would go low if that's all they were allowed out of the pot if they won.”
A third frustrated fan suggested: “They should ban low offers if two people have already taken it. Ridiculous!”
Many agreed that players should be rewarded based on their contributions and took to X to plead for something to change.
“I know it's been said many times on #thechase but if the team win the final chase then the money should be split according to who put what in the pot. Maybe give the minus offer w*****s 50 quid for bus fare home or something.”
Another viewer directly addressed Walsh, writing: “Sort these contestants out please Bradley, tell them to stop going low, it’s losing its appeal. I love you Bradley but I'm not loving the show anymore.”
Fans were rooting for chaser Shaun to catch the “undeserving” team, and applauded his victory after catching them with a 15 point score and 8 seconds left on the clock.
He then said: “It’s the first time in my history of doing the show that everyone’s gone low,” with an unimpressed shrug.
Another fan dubbed it the "worst episode ever" blasting: "Part of the appeal of #TheChase is to watch contestants take a risk and go for the big money. This episode was possibly the worst one ever and hugely embarrassing for ITV never mind the contestants."
However others defended the contestants as one mused: "Why is everyone getting stressed. It's a game show." Another agreed: "It's a bit of fun."
The Chase airs weekdays on ITV at 5pm
