Contestants Peter and Warjinder had built up an impressive £60,000 prize fund before a controversial finish left viewers questioning whether the final chase was fair.
Viewers of The Chase have accused the ITV quiz show of being “fixed” after the clock appeared to slow down during the final moments of an especially tense episode.
Peter and Warjinder had managed to accumulate a £60,000 prize pot and reached the Final Chase with an impressive score of 20.
But with the contestants seemingly just seconds away from securing the money, Anne Hegarty — better known as The Governess — appeared to catch them as the clock reached its final second.
The dramatic finish quickly sparked a backlash online, with some viewers claiming that the final second appeared unusually long and had given the Chaser enough time to complete the catch.
The Chase viewers have accused the ITV show of being fixed after the clock in the final round of yesterday’s show appeared to stallCredit: ITV
Viewers accuse ITV of ‘robbing’ contestants
Footage of the controversial ending quickly circulated on social media, with frustrated fans questioning what they had seen.
One viewer wrote that host Bradley Walsh had been reading the final two questions as quickly as possible, but claimed there appeared to be a delay in the televised version.
Another simply branded it the “biggest fix on TV”.
Others were even more furious, with one viewer writing that Peter and Warjinder had been “robbed” of their £60,000 prize.
Another posted: “Absolute fix this was wont be watching the chase again.”
A further viewer pointed to the final second, writing that it had been “the longest 1 second remaining ever” and questioning how the result could have been allowed to stand.
The controversy was particularly frustrating for fans because the contestants had appeared to be on course for a potentially famous victory against one of the show’s best-known Chasers.
Anne Hegarty, nicknamed The Governess, had it all to do as contestants Peter and Warjinder built up a prize pot of £60,000 and an impressive score of 20 in the final round
The Governess insists the result was fair
Anne Hegarty responded to the controversy herself, insisting that there had been no manipulation of the result.
She explained that extremely close finishes can sometimes create confusion because the wrong music may initially be used during the edit.
According to Hegarty, when a finish is particularly close, the footage is checked by an adjudicator. If the tape confirms that the Chaser has won, the ending may then have to be recorded again with the correct music.
She also acknowledged that the timing can look slightly different during this process.
The Governess said the contestants’ defeat was nevertheless legitimate, adding that the Chaser and contestants are “not machines”.
The explanation did little to stop some viewers from questioning what they had witnessed.
Bradley Walsh was left with his head in his hands as the pair were caughtCredit: ITV
It wasn’t the first time The Chase faced accusations of unfairness
The controversy was not the first occasion on which viewers had questioned whether contestants and Chasers were being treated equally.
Earlier in the year, fans criticised the apparent difficulty of questions given to another Chaser, known as The Vixen, after she appeared to race through the Final Chase to victory.
And on other occasions, criticism has gone in the opposite direction.
Host Bradley Walsh has previously faced accusations that he appeared to help contestants when they gave an incorrect answer.
In one episode, a contestant named Rachel was asked whether she was certain about her answer after Walsh repeatedly delayed accepting it.
Some viewers interpreted his questioning as an attempt to give her an opportunity to reconsider her response.
Bradley has previously been accused of trying to help contestantsCredit: ITV
A dramatic finish leaves fans divided
For Peter and Warjinder, the controversy came after they had put together a formidable £60,000 prize fund and reached the Final Chase with 20 steps on the board.
But as the final seconds disappeared, Anne Hegarty managed to close the gap.
Bradley Walsh was left visibly stunned as the pair were caught, producing a dramatic ending that quickly became the focus of online debate.
While some viewers remained convinced that the timing looked suspicious, Hegarty maintained that the result had been properly checked and that the win was fair.
ITV was contacted for comment over the claims.