Viewers of ITV’s The Chase were left stunned after four celebrities pulled off a dramatic Final Chase victory, securing a huge £100,000 for charity.
Ann Widdecombe, Sam Nixon, Mark Rhodes and Jimmy Carr joined forces for the celebrity special, hoping to raise as much money as possible for their chosen causes.
Standing between them and the jackpot was Jenny Ryan, known to viewers as The Vixen, who was determined to stop the team from reaching the finish.
Jimmy Carr takes a huge gamble
The team initially built a respectable £18,000 in the Cash Builder, with Ann, Sam and Mark contributing to the total.
All three successfully made it through the first stage after facing Jenny, setting up a tense Final Chase.
But Jimmy Carr was offered the chance to dramatically increase the prize.
Jenny raised her offer to an eye-catching £82,000. Taking the higher amount meant Carr would have to give up some of his safety and move one step closer to The Vixen.
Despite the risk, the comedian decided the potential reward was worth it.
He accepted the £82,000 offer—and managed to survive the chase and join his fellow celebrities in the final.
That decision would prove crucial.
A tense Final Chase
With all four celebrities through, the team entered the Final Chase with £100,000 at stake for their charities.
They managed to put together an impressive score of 19 steps.
However, Jenny Ryan immediately put the pressure on them, and for a while it appeared the team had little chance of holding her off.
With just one minute remaining on her clock, Jenny had reached 11 steps and looked on course to catch them.
Then the momentum suddenly shifted.
Jenny began making mistakes, giving the celebrity team valuable opportunities to push her back and increasing their chances of securing the jackpot.
The tension continued until the clock finally ran out.
Jenny had reached only 17 steps—two short of the celebrities’ total of 19.
The team had done it.
Their victory meant £100,000 was won for their respective charities, prompting an immediate reaction from viewers watching at home.
“Absolute scenes on The Chase”
Fans took to Twitter to celebrate the unexpected result, with many admitting they were amazed by how the Final Chase unfolded.
Suzanne posted: “Absolute scenes on #TheChase – they just won £100k.”
Irene congratulated the four celebrities, writing: “Well done Ann, Mark, Sam & Jimmy! £100k.”
Steph simply summed up her reaction with: “What an episode.”
Another viewer, Gillian, celebrated the result by posting: “£100k Congratulations!!!”
The episode may have been a repeat, but the dramatic finish clearly had viewers talking all over again.
For Ann Widdecombe, Sam Nixon, Mark Rhodes and Jimmy Carr, the biggest reward was not simply beating The Vixen—it was securing £100,000 for charity after surviving one of the most nerve-wracking Final Chases of the episode.