Bradley Walsh Leaves Ruth Davidson Scrambling With Cheeky ‘In or Out?’ Joke on The Chase

Bradley Walsh took the opportunity to tease the politicianCredit: ITV

Bradley Walsh rarely lets a perfect opportunity for a joke pass him by, and when former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson appeared on a celebrity edition of The Chase, one seemingly innocent question quickly turned into a playful reference to one of Britain’s biggest political debates.

Davidson joined BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, reality TV personality Ferne McCann and Level 42 musician Mark King for the ITV celebrity special, with the contestants attempting to win money for charity.

But before Davidson could concentrate entirely on beating the Chaser, Walsh decided to put the politician through a very different kind of test.

Bradley Puts Ruth on the Spot

Ruth Davidson MP will appear on The Chase tomorrow nightCredit: ITV

During their exchange, Walsh suddenly adopted a serious expression and asked Davidson a remarkably simple question:

“In or out?”

Given the political climate in September 2019 — and Davidson’s prominent role in the Brexit debate — the implication was difficult to miss.

Davidson, however, appeared determined not to walk directly into Walsh’s trap.

“Well, hopefully we’ll get plenty of money ‘in’ the bank,” she replied, cleverly redirecting the question toward the charity prize fund.

Walsh wasn’t letting her escape quite that easily.

“No, you know what I mean. In or out?” he pressed.

Davidson finally answered: “I was always ‘in’. Always in.”

Her response reflected her public position ahead of the 2016 EU referendum, when she had backed the Remain campaign.

But Walsh had been setting up a punchline all along.

“I’m out,” he replied, before adding: “I’m talking about the hokey cokey.”

Davidson immediately played along: “Shake it all about!”

The exchange transformed what initially sounded like an unexpectedly direct political question into one of Walsh’s familiar on-air jokes.

Davidson’s Appearance Came After a Major Political Decision

Ruth was put to the test for a celebrity version of The ChaseCredit: ITV

The celebrity appearance arrived during a period of significant change for Davidson.

The previous month, at age 40, she had stepped down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives after eight years in the position, shortly after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.

Davidson explained at the time that politics had required her to repeatedly put work and her party first, but that changes in her personal life meant she wanted to devote more time to her family.

Her stance on Brexit also made Walsh’s “in or out?” setup particularly recognizable to viewers. Davidson had been a prominent supporter of remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum.

Britain’s Brexit process was still unresolved when the episode aired in September 2019. The country had originally been scheduled to leave the EU on March 29 that year, but the departure had been delayed amid continuing political disputes.

That background gave Walsh’s deliberately ambiguous question an obvious second meaning before he revealed that his supposed interest was actually in the children’s dance song.

A Celebrity Team Playing for Charity

Davidson was not the only familiar face taking on The Chase.

Dan Walker, Ferne McCann and Mark King joined her in the celebrity lineup, with all four contestants hoping to secure money for their respective charities.

Yet Davidson’s encounter with Walsh produced one of the episode’s more memorable lighter moments.

What began with the host staring seriously at a politician and demanding to know whether she was “in or out” ended somewhere entirely different — with Walsh invoking the hokey cokey and Davidson immediately joining in on the joke.

The celebrity edition of The Chase aired on ITV on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019.