The Chase viewers were left unimpressed during Thursday’s episode after host Bradley Walsh asked a contestant a question that many fans thought had an almost painfully obvious answer.
The ITV quiz show featured four new contestants — Drew, Nancy, Tracy and Richard — as they took on Paul Sinha, better known as The Sinnerman.
But it was a question about a famous street artist that quickly caught the attention of viewers at home.
“Which street artist?” Fans knew the answer immediately
When solicitor Tracy, from Barnsley, stepped up to face the questions, Bradley asked:
“In 2020, an exhibition in Bethlehem paid tribute to which street artist?”
Tracy confidently answered “Banksy.”
The answer was correct, but some viewers weren’t impressed by the wording of the question.
For them, the phrase “which street artist” practically gave the answer away.
One viewer joked that “Which street artist… = Banksy” had become almost the same question every time.
Another quipped: “Which street artist. Does anyone know more than one?”
A third simply referred to it as the familiar “Which street artist…” question.
Banksy, the anonymous British graffiti artist whose real identity remains unknown, has become a frequent subject of quiz questions because of his international reputation and distinctive work.
But that wasn’t the only thing keeping The Chase fans entertained.
Bradley Walsh spots one name joke — but misses another
Earlier in the episode, Bradley noticed an amusing coincidence involving graphic designer Drew.
After learning his profession, the host pointed out the connection between his job and his name.
“Graphic designer, and you’re called Drew,” Bradley joked.
Drew admitted that he’d never heard that one before.
However, viewers at home had noticed something even more entertaining about the contestants’ names.
The four contestants happened to be Richard, Tracy, Nancy and Drew.
And when Richard’s name was paired with Tracy, fans immediately recognized the famous detective combination:
Dick Tracy.
Then Nancy and Drew created another familiar fictional name:
Nancy Drew.
Suddenly, the contestant lineup looked less like a random group of quiz hopefuls and more like a collection of famous characters.
Viewers couldn’t believe the coincidence
Fans quickly took to social media to point out the unusual sequence.
One viewer wrote:
“Dick Tracy Nancy Drew very good.”
Another joked:
“Since when did #TheChase start putting contestants in funny name order every single episode?”
A third simply commented:
“Dick Tracy & Nancy Drew… well played.”
The coincidence was especially amusing because Bradley had noticed the joke involving Drew’s profession, while apparently missing the much bigger wordplay that viewers had spotted.
Two contestants make it to the Final Round
The name jokes aside, the contestants still had a serious challenge ahead of them.
Tracy and Nancy did not make it through to the final, leaving Richard and Drew to face Paul Sinha in the Final Round.
The pair were competing for a £7,000 prize.
Unfortunately for them, their combined efforts weren’t enough to defeat The Sinnerman, who once again proved why he’s regarded as one of the show’s formidable Chasers.
So while the contestants didn’t walk away with the cash, they certainly gave The Chase audience plenty to talk about — from the familiar Banksy question to one of the most amusing combinations of contestant names the show has seen.
The Chase airs on ITV.