ITV The Chase fans accuse show of being 'rigged' after 'cruel' final round decision
The Chase viewers were left on the edge of their seats after watching contestant James miss out on a colossal £75,000 in the final round after facing Anne Hegerty
by Jamie Roberts, George Allen, Ayaan Ali · ChronicleLiveAn intense episode of The Chase had viewers on tenterhooks as a contestant gave a stellar solo effort yet narrowly missed out on taking home a huge £75,000 prize.
The game show's fandom erupted with certain fans controversially suggesting that the contest may have been "rigged" following the episode's events. During the episode, host Bradley Walsh introduced competitors named Charlie, George, Sophia and James.
However, the competition took a challenging turn early on when Charlie, George and Sophia were dispatched in quick succession, leaving James to go it alone against Anne Hegerty, known as The Governess.
James put on an impressive display in the cash builder round and boldly chose to aim for the whopping £75,000 by choosing to face Anne by himself. In an atmosphere charged with tension, he managed to correctly answer 18 questions, which set the stage for a dramatic finish.
In a twist, Anne fumbled on her final question, offering James a fleeting chance for a comeback. Regrettably, his incorrect answer only served to amplify the suspense, reports the Mirror.
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With a mere four seconds left on the clock and £75,000 at stake, Bradley exhaled, "Oh wee... £75,000 in the balance. Chaser needs one with four seconds remaining. Here we go", as reported by Lincolnshire Live.
When Bradley resumed the game with "Your time starts again now." The anticipation hit a new high. Ultimately, Anne quashed James's hopes, clinching the win with just two seconds left, much to the chagrin of viewers everywhere.
The internet was ablaze with contentious discourse as 'The Chase' aficionados took to social media to express their dissatisfaction. Tensions escalated after host Bradley Walsh paused momentarily before continuing the episode, prompting one outspoken critic to declare on a public forum: "Rigged for Anne last question 100percent #thechase".
Another Twitter user succinctly expressed their irritation with: "#thechase Very harsh."
An additional comment surfaced laced with skepticism: "Find it very interesting how Brad give it such a slow build up then a question comes up that can easily be interrupted/answered correctly within those 4 seconds... well-done itv you've rigged it to save yourselves 75k. #TheChase".
However, some felt sympathy for the contestant involved, with one person commenting: "That's cruel. Chaser should've let him get the £75K #thechase", whereas another simply stated: "Unforgivable."
Amid the controversy, there were also those who praised the contestant, with one post reading: "What an incredible performance by James £75,000 should have been his I feel for him."
Disappointment was conveyed through another tweet: "Well, that was a really disappointing ending. James absolutely deserved that win after all we've suffered tonight. God damn Rolls-Royce! #TheChase."
Lastly, summarising a common sentiment, a viewer shared: "Absolutely amazing James on #thechase gutted he didn't win the money."
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