“Was It Rigged?” – The Chase Fans Fume as Jenny Ryan Blocks £142k Charity Win After Bizarre Final Question Twist

Fans of the hugely popular game show The Chase have branded it a ‘fix’ after chaser Jenny Ryan blocked £142,000 from going to charity in an ‘absolute stitch-up’ final round.

The ITV game show sees members of the public competing against quiz masters for large cash prizes.

And in the case of the  Celebrity edition, the money won goes to charities of the celebrities’ choosing.

This time singer Cheryl Baker, meteorologist Laura Tobin, journalist Mark Steel and athlete Jason Bell were competing against The Vixen

Jenny managed to catch Jason, but an impressive three out of four players made it through to the final chase, setting a competitive target of 19 correct questions.

The trio pushed Jenny back multiple times, gaining themselves extra points.

Fans of The Chase have branded it a ‘fix’ after chaser Jenny Ryan (pictured) blocked £142,000 from going to charity in an ‘absolute stitch-up’ final round

Mark, Cheryl and Laura (pictured) were left with £1,000 each for their charities as a consolation prize, having lost out on more than £140,000

But in the end, they were caught with just three seconds left on the clock.

Mark, Cheryl and Laura were left with £1,000 each for their charities as a consolation prize, having lost out on more than £140,000.

Disgruntled viewers suspected foul play, and took to social media to express their suspicion.

‘Oh come on,’ wrote one person. ‘Charity show yet the chaser still gets questions like “what three-letter word is short for magazine?” – absolute stitch up.’

While some commenters focused on the apparent simplicity of the questions put to the chaser, others felt host Bradley Walsh was inconsistent.

‘Bradley Walsh needs to stop speeding up when asking the chaser questions on the final round,’ one said. ‘Bit of a fix really.’

And one viewer questioned the format of the answer system itself, writing: ‘The final chase is rigged in favour of the chasers.

‘They don’t have to hit a buzzer and wait for their name before answering and they get a rest when they get one wrong.’

Singer Cheryl Baker (R), meteorologist Laura Tobin (M) journalist Mark Steel (L) and athlete Jason Bell were competing against The Vixen

‘The game is blatantly fixed,’ wrote another. ‘What is the point?’

After their defeat, the team looked downtrodden. Bradley told them: ‘Four attempts to push back, three executed, caught with three seconds remaining, you needed one more. Do you know what that one more was?’

It comes as a former winner of The Chase issues a stern warning to others who make it onto television – informed by his experience on some of the UK’s most popular game shows.

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Having also featured on The 1% Club and Tipping Point, Steven Sneade has become something of a veteran contestant.

His most triumphant win came when he beat chaser Paul Sinha, aka The Sinnerman, and took home an impressive £17,000.

But the 69-year-old hasn’t always had such good luck.

‘I was knocked out of The 1% Club on the first question,’ he admitted. ‘Then I just had to sit there for hours while the rest of the show was filmed.’

Disgruntled viewers suspected foul play, and took to social media to express their suspicion

Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Liverpool-based Steven revealed just how gruelling the interview process can be, as well as the tricky task of being ‘entertaining’ for the camera.

‘It’s a difficult one, because you’ve got to stand out from the crowd,’ he said. ‘But if that’s not what you’re like normally, you’re not going to come across very well.’

Steven warned against pretending to be someone else, arguing that both viewers and producers can smell inauthenticity.

‘Trying to fake a big personality will not help,’ he continued. ‘If you’re a naturally quieter person, trying to be an extrovert isn’t going to work. It’s going to come across as false.’

But Steven stressed there is a balance to be found, because producers will inevitably be drawn to the most interesting contestants.

‘You’ve got to remember that it is, first and foremost, an entertainment show,’ he said.

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‘For ITV, it’s to get as many viewers as they can. Try and see it from their point of view – what do they want? They want someone who is going to be a bit lively and a bit different.’

As far as talking about yourself, Steven advised would-be contestants to sell themselves and pick out the juiciest nuggets.

‘You’ve got to play for your strengths. If your hobby is that you play the piano, don’t just say you play the piano at home – try and make it something excellent. If you once played at the Royal Albert Hall, say that.’

The Chase is available to watch on ITV1 on weeknights at 5pm and to stream on ITVX.