To continue our entertainment and showbiz section comes an interesting piece about The Chase, a hugely popular UK game show with a regular audience of three to five million people.
‘I was a contestant on The Chase – this is the big warning production gives you before filming and why Bradley Walsh’s off-camera personality really surprised me’
Former contestant lifts the lid on the realities of starring on one of the UK’s biggest game shows.
The Chase is one of the biggest game shows, drawing in millions of views. But what’s it really like to be a contestant and compete against the Chasers?
Fertility therapist Nicola Crawley starred on the show in 2023. She excelled in the cash builder round with £8,000 but struggled when she finally faced Chaser Paul Sinha and went home without any money.
Speaking on behalf of FruitySlots.com, the 50-year-old opens up about her time on the show, revealing why the application process takes years, the stark warning production staff give contestants and why host Bradley Walsh’s behaviour took her by surprise.
How well did you do on The Chase?
I did really well in the cash builder round and got eight of the questions right. But then I went to the table with £8000 and was playing against Paul Sinha. I really struggled in that round and only answered about two questions right. I wasn’t invited back for the final round but I had a great time overall.
What was the application process like?
It was lengthy. I applied through ITV’s website but it took six months for me to hear back. I got invited to an assessment day in Birmingham where me and some other hopefuls had to play a mock game and answer questions to test our knowledge. I think the producers were looking for different characters and also abilities.
How long was the filming day?
The day started around 8 am. They put the contestants up in a hotel the night before and picked us up from reception. The producers took us to the green room and started asking us trial questions to get us used to the format. We were told to bring five outfits and they inspected them to make sure no one clashed or was wearing anything with a logo or something offensive. We had to do our hair and make-up before but we got it touched up again. We started filming at 10 am and were done by midday.
What surprised you the most about the studio?
I was surprised that it looked so much like it does on TV, especially because you’re basically in a warehouse. It’s cold too! I remember thinking it was cold until Bradley Walsh came out and then the heaters came on.
What was Bradley Walsh like? Did he come to say hello?
He came on to the set and went straight to speak to a runner. He didn’t look at the contestants at first but then came over to us. He placed his hand on the desk and said: ‘You’re the best pub quiz team in the land and I’m your fifth member. Let’s smash this’. He also said: ‘Don’t call me Bradley, it’s not Sunday’. He wanted us to call him Brad.
Is he just like he appears on TV?
No, he’s quite different when the cameras stop rolling. He’s naturally very funny but between takes, he was just taking calls and drinking coffee. He was quite quiet.
How about the Chasers? What were they like?
I played against Paul Singha and he was lovely. I was the second person to face him and the guy before me had taken a surprisingly low offer, so Paul ribbed him a little to lighten the mood. He put us all at ease. He never made fun of us if we got a question wrong. He really surprised me because I wasn’t sure how he’d be when the cameras weren’t rolling but he was consistently lovely.
Did the production staff warn you about social media trolls?
Yes, they advised us to stay off social media for a few days after our episode aired. They warned us about trolls and how they can be quite personal. I did look online because I was curious and actually only saw positive comments.
