'I was on The Chase – Bradley Walsh did one thing that caught me off guard'

The Chase, hosted by Bradley Walsh, sees four strangers battle it out against a professional quizzer – but not many people know what happens behind the scenes of the popular ITV show

More than three million viewers regularly tune into The Chase, yet few know what goes on behind the scenes of the ITV show. The popular quiz show, hosted by Bradley Walsh, pits contestants against six chasers: Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Paul Sinha, Jenny Ryan and Darragh Ennis.

Throughout each episode, they face a range of questions on subjects from history and geography to science, pop culture and sports, all in the hope of bagging a cash prize. On average, the Chaser triumphs around 76% of the time – but teams have been known to scoop up to £120,000, with solo contestants pocketing as much as £100,000.

Now, one person claiming to be a former contestant has spilled the beans on their experience on the game show, revealing how much money they took home and sharing little-known 'secrets' about the programme.

Posting on Reddit, contestant Alexander described his day on The Chase as "amazing", adding: "The crew is super friendly and it's surprisingly quite a relaxed environment, you get a lot of time to get to know your team.

"The studio is well furnished and you get free tea/coffee all day which is a nice extra. Going down to London, filming for TV and meeting someone like Bradley and the chasers is also a very novel experience."

He revealed that the entire trip was all expenses paid, including £15 for dinner. But while his team didn't beat the Chaser, he added: " I only spent £12, so technically I did win £3."

He revealed, "The production is all pretty slick since they film three episodes per day so we didn't get to talk to Bradley too much, but he was just as nice in real life."

However, one thing caught Alexander off guard. He continued: "What surprised me is that he swore a bit and they just edited that out, the joking around is pretty much nonstop and it's a chill atmosphere."

Reflecting on his lacklustre performance on the show itself, Alexander noted: "I just didn't get too many topics that I was very knowledgeable on. Some of the other contestants got some chemistry questions that I knew, another person got a question on the Baal and I'd written an essay on that only a week prior. I should've gone with my gut on the final question at the table though."

Alexander said he heard back about his application around two months after submitting it. An audition followed, with filming taking place roughly one or two months later.

He elaborated: "It's not usually that fast though, some people wait up to three years to get on the show. They also say it will air within 6-18 months of filming."

For those thinking of applying, ITV is currently looking for contestants for The Chase's upcoming series.

An ITV statement says: "The Chasers are the superheroes of general knowledge. Each, a household name, loved and feared equally by all.

"It's your opportunity to challenge them, as once more they join forces to face any competitors brave enough to take them on. But remember, courage alone won't see you through – you'll have to face these quiz giants on your own!".

"If you think you're smart enough, complete an application form HERE and you could be in with a chance of winning a huge cash prize!"

Applications will be closing at 11.59pm on Sunday, May 18, with online auditions scheduled to take place later that month.