Bradley gets rather excited sometimes(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Behind the laughs, rapid-fire questions and dramatic Final Chase, The Chase has a team of lawyers watching closely — ready to intervene if presenter Bradley Walsh makes even the smallest mistake.
The ITV quiz show may appear to run like clockwork, but filming the tense final round involves a surprisingly strict process designed to ensure neither the contestants nor the Chasers gain an unfair advantage.
And Bradley has previously revealed exactly what happens when he slips up.
Lawyers Are Ready to Stop Filming
Bradley couldn’t handle this cheeky question(Image: ITV)
Episodes of The Chase are edited before being broadcast, with three episodes filmed each day and each taking around 90 minutes to record.
Bradley also does not see the questions before filming begins, which has resulted in some of the show’s most memorable moments, including the infamous “Fanny Chmelar” incident.
But not knowing what is coming next can also create problems when the presenter is delivering questions at lightning speed.
That becomes particularly important during the Final Chase.
Bradley has to ask the contestants a series of questions within a strict two-minute period before repeating the process for the Chaser.
Bradley has to speak very quickly(Image: ITV)
That means the speed and accuracy of his delivery can have a direct impact on the game.
According to Bradley, the Final Chase is generally filmed in one continuous take. However, production can stop and restart if he misreads a question.
And when that happens, the lawyers are there to make sure the correction is handled fairly.
“If there is a slight misread, I am stopped immediately – bang – by the lawyers,” Bradley previously told Radio Times.
“We have the compliance lawyers in the studio all the time. What you have to do is go back to the start of the question, literally on video tape where my mouth opens – or where it’s closed from the previous question – and the question is re-asked. It is stopped to the split second.”
Bradley explained that the process means neither side loses any time.
“It means no time is lost for either the contestant or the chaser,” he added.
Beat The Chasers is back tonight(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Bradley Has to Keep Up the Pace
The presenter has revealed that it takes him roughly 3.6 to four seconds to read each question.
That might sound quick, but maintaining that pace is crucial to giving contestants enough opportunities to answer during the two-minute Final Chase.
Bradley explained just how important his delivery speed can be.
“You have to be at such a speed: if you’re a contestant and I go ‘what’s… the capital… of France…’ they’d be dead and buried in thirty seconds.”
He said he needs to ensure contestants can get through around 18 or 19 questions correctly, describing that as the score that can really put the Chasers under pressure.
“Once the chasers get in a rhythm there’s no stopping them. They can answer 24, 25 questions in two minutes. We’ve even almost reached thirty.”
Claims That The Chase Is ‘Fixed’
Over the years, The Chase has faced claims from some viewers questioning the speed of the questions or whether certain questions are easier than others.
However, the programme has procedures in place to ensure the Final Chase remains fair.
The team is allowed to choose which set of questions they are asked during the final round, while the production company employs an independent professional monitoring company called Beyond Dispute.
Its role is to ensure the questions are fair, balanced and selected randomly.
The strict process is intended to prevent mistakes or inconsistencies from affecting the outcome.
There was, however, one incident that caused particular controversy among viewers.
The Clock ‘Glitch’ That Caused Outrage
Back in 2016, viewers were left furious when the clock appeared to glitch during a Final Chase involving Mark Labbett.
The timer appeared to freeze at 10 seconds before jumping back up to 11 seconds, making it look as though Mark had been given an extra second.
The incident sparked complaints from viewers, but a spokesperson for The Chase later explained that the apparent extra second was caused by an editing error.
Crucially, they said it had not affected the actual gameplay.
Beat The Chasers Returns
While the main series pits individual contestants against the Chasers, the spin-off Beat The Chasers brings the quiz experts together as a team.
The format allows contestants to face two, three, four or all five Chasers at once, with larger sums of money available to those willing to take on more of them.
The latest series sees Mark “The Beast” Labbett, Anne “The Governess” Hegerty, Paul “The Sinnerman” Sinha, Jenny “The Vixen” Ryan and Shaun “The Dark Destroyer” Wallace joining forces.
But having all five Chasers working together also means that mistakes become even more noticeable.
Instead of one Chaser carrying the pressure, the entire team has to deal with the embarrassment and tension when answers start going wrong.
Bradley calls hopeful contestants down from the audience to take part in a hardcore version of the Cash Builder.
There is an immediate risk, too: contestants are eliminated if they get the first question wrong.
Those who make it through must then decide how many Chasers they are prepared to face, with the potential cash prize increasing as they take on more of the quiz experts.
With the Chasers combining their knowledge once again, contestants will have to be prepared for an especially demanding challenge.
Beat The Chasers airs tonight on ITV at 9pm.