There’s a lot of work that goes into The Chase (Image: ITV)

ITV’s The Chase is one of the most popular game shows currently on air, and it gets floods of applications on a regular basis.

But what is it really like when you take part? From the long application process to a “fake Bradley”, there are lots of different bits and pieces that go together to give the final show.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, former contestant Steven Sneade explained what really happens during the application process for the show.

He was on the show eight years ago and won a lump of cash along with two other players in their team after a successful round against Paul Sinha.

Speaking on the audition process, he said: “I downloaded and filled in the application form, but after that it was quite a long process.”

The Chase sees quiz champions up against the general public (Image: Shutterstock)

He explained: “I did a phone audition and was told I was shortlisted, but from the initial application to the recording was a period of three years.”

The phone audition was quite standard, asking 20 general knowledge questions and just discussing his application, but the next audition saw them split into groups of 10 for another general knowledge quiz.

This one was in person, and the groups played “party games” to get everyone feeling comfortable and had a “simulation”. He said: “A member of the production team played Bradley Walsh and they played the game as if we all got through to the final. We would put our hands up and get called on, rather than shouting out. It was a replica of the cash builder and then the final chase.”

Steven decided to apply for the show after having lots of success at pub quizzes and also played in a mid-size quiz league many years ago.

The experience of the game show practice was fun enough for Steven, who said that even if he hadn’t got on the show he thought that trying to get on the show was lots of fun and he would recommend it.

He said the process to get on the show is really gruelling and lots of people will get cut, but his words of wisdom for anyone who is keen is to just “go for it”.