The Chase was plunged into controversy this week after viewers erupted in fury when a contestant begged her teammate to take the dreaded low offer – a move branded by fans as a ‘joke’ and proof the programme had ‘gone down the toilet.’

During Wednesday’s episode, host Bradley Walsh, 65, welcomed four new hopefuls to the ITV studio – Shelia, Alex, Robbie and Amanda – to take on Shaun ‘The Dark Destroyer’ Wallace.

First to face the quiz master was retired P.E. teacher Shelia, who secured £2,000 in the cash-builder but was swiftly knocked out in the head-to-head.

Alex, a digital marketer, followed with a stronger £4,000, only to meet the same fate against the formidable Chaser.

That left Robbie, an HR manager from Hampshire, stepping up to the podium with another £4,000.

But the game took a dramatic twist when he turned to confer with his last remaining teammate about which offer to accept.

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The Chase was plunged into controversy on Wednesday after viewers erupted in fury when a contestant begged her teammate to take the dreaded low offer [Pictured: Bradley Walsh]

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The game took a dramatic twist when HR manager Robbie (pictured) turned to confer with his last remaining teammate about which offer to accept

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Amanda (pictured) stunned viewers by ‘begging’ Robbie to take the lowest possible amount

Amanda stunned viewers by urging him to take the lowest possible amount. ‘Robbie, you are capable of the top, but please go low,’ she pleaded, leaving host Bradley chuckling in disbelief.

Doubling down, she added: ‘I need you back here, so any money is better than no money. So please, I’m begging.’

Her controversial strategy instantly sparked outrage on X, formerly Twitter, as fans vented their disbelief.

One asked: ‘Seriously?’ while another exclaimed: ‘Nooooooo!’ A third wrote: ‘Chick chick chick chicken. Hope to god you flipping lose.’

Others were even more scathing, with one declaring: ‘This is an absolute joke now! Why does the low offer even exist in the first place? The Chase has gone down the toilet.’

Despite Amanda’s pleas, Robbie opted to gamble on his £4,000 – and scraped through by the skin of his teeth after two nail-biting near misses.

Finally, it was Amanda’s turn at the podium, where she proved her own mettle by scoring an impressive £6,000 in the cash-builder and sailing smoothly past The Dark Destroyer.

Together, she and Robbie advanced to the Final Chase with £10,000 at stake. Choosing set B of questions, the pair managed to build a total of 11 correct answers.

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It comes just after The Chase viewers angrily switched off their screens after Monday night’s episode saw a disappointing first for the ITV show’s new series

But despite their determined effort, Shaun hunted them down with 35 seconds left on the clock.

It comes just after The Chase viewers angrily switched off their screens after Monday night’s episode saw a disappointing first for the ITV show’s new series.

Beloved host Bradley Walsh, 65, welcomed four new hopefuls to the studio, all battling to beat the Chaser and win a sizable cash prize.

But contestants Angela, Susan, Archie and Jak quickly faltered when faced with Chaser Mark ‘The Beast’ Labett.

Every single player failed to make it past their head-to-head with the Chaser, in the first total wipeout of the new series.