The Chase viewers were left fuming during Wednesday night’s episode of the ITV quiz show as a contestant was denied what many believed was a “correct” answer
The Chase fans were left furious after a controversial call(Image: (Image: ITV))
Controversy erupted on Wednesday’s episode of The Chase after one contestant was denied an answer many viewers deemed correct – with some fans ready to file formal complaints. Bradley Walsh was steering the show as hopefuls Gary from Hull, Sarah from Clitheroe, Ailsa from Fife, and Londoner George competed for a significant cash prize.
The episode was charged with tension from the outset, as Gary bagged £6,000 and Sarah contributed an extra £7,000 aiming for a new wardrobe for her Australian adventure. Strawberry farmer Ailsa, hailing from Scotland, stunned her team by opting for the high £44,000 offer and successfully tackling it, winning admiration from Chaser Darragh ‘The Menace’ Ennis who remarked: “You deserve that with the bravery of going for it.”
However, 23 year old George became the centre of controversy. Despite accumulating a respectable £7,000 in the individual round, the supermarket employee controversially chose the minus £9,000 option, leaving viewers puzzled and reducing the team’s collected winnings to £48,000 before the final chase.
The team went home with nothing after winning £48,000 (Image: (Image: ITV))
The peak of the drama occurred in the game’s dying moments when Bradley put forth to George: “The term carjack is a blend of car and what other word.”
Without hesitation, George responded: “Hijacked,” reports the Express. Bradley Walsh swiftly dismissed a contestant’s answer with a firm “Hijack!” and quickly moved on. With the clock ticking down, the team struggled to bounce back.
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At the end of the round, Bradley remarked: “Bad luck with hijacked, we needed hijack.” The incident caused an uproar among viewers, with many feeling George’s response was unjustly turned down, potentially costing the team their victory. One irate fan tweeted: “Yet again #TheChase is a joke. Hijack/Hijacked. Who gives a f**k.”
The team were competing against Darragh ‘The Menace’ Ennis (Image: (Image: ITV))
Another viewer expressed their intent to send a strongly-worded email, while someone else commented: “Hijack … Hijacked This show is getting more f*****g corrupt every day.”
A different fan called the decision too severe, saying: “So harsh that Bradley couldn’t accept hijacked instead of hijack.” Another vented: “Hijack vs Hijacked are you joking?” and one more stated: “Hijack not hijacked is a bit harsh. Especially at the speed Brad is reading, hard to tell if he said carjack or carjacked.”
Another even went as far as to joke that they were going to complain to Ofcom. Calls were made by others for ITV to review its regulations in light of what many saw as a significant blunder.
Despite a commendable effort, the contestants were ultimately caught with just 13 seconds remaining, ‘The Menace’ confessed he “didn’t see it coming,” and attributed the defeat to the team’s slow pace in answering questions.
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Even Bradley couldn’t help but add a sting in his closing comment, noting: “And the £48,000 turns to dust just like that.”
