ITV’s The Chase left viewers frustrated on Thursday night (15 February) after two contestants took huge minus offers, slashing the team’s potential jackpot.
Fans were so outraged by the decisions that many claimed they had to "switch off" the show, branding the episode "unwatchable" and "unacceptable".
Contestants slash prize money with controversial moves
© ITVHost Bradley Walsh welcomed four new players: Eleanor, 24, from Cardiff; Bev, 43, from Bournewood; Neil, 53, a civil engineer from Leeds; and Nick, 44, a men's personal stylist from Bath.
Eleanor was the first contestant to face Jenny ‘The Vixen’ Ryan, but she was eliminated early on.
Bev, however, impressed viewers when she went all in. After securing £3,000 in her cashbuilder round, she made the bold decision to go for the £40,000 high offer—and won. Bradley praised her for her bravery, telling her: "You're absolutely brilliant."
Then came Neil, who earned £4,000 in his cashbuilder round. But when given the chance to play for more, he shocked the team by opting for a minus £5,000 offer just to make it through to the final chase.
Fans were furious, with one writing on social media: "ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC! As soon as he took -£5,000, I switched off The Chase."
© ITVThe frustration only grew when Nick, the final player, made an even more controversial choice. Despite winning £2,000 in his cashbuilder round, he went for the minus £14,000 offer, reducing the team's prize pot even further.
One viewer fumed: "It's unacceptable!!!" Another posted: "Nick took -14k and no one will ever forget it!"
As the jackpot dropped from £40,000 to £21,000, fans continued to vent their frustration. One wrote: "#TheChase has become unwatchable these days. Why as a contestant would you take minus £14,000? And why as a teammate would you be willing to let him do that?"
Another raged: "Taking a total of -19K from the prize pot isn’t ‘helping the team’—it’s greed, pure and simple!"
Final chase ends in disappointment
© ITVDespite the controversy, the team made it through to the final chase. They managed to answer 13 questions correctly, but it wasn’t enough. Jenny caught them with 47 seconds to spare, meaning they left with nothing.
The reaction from viewers was swift. One person tweeted: "That's what happens when you take the minus offers! Karma."
Another added: "The biggest mistake was letting them take the money in the first place. No sympathy!"
Despite the backlash, The Chase remains one of ITV’s most popular quiz shows.
The Chase continues weekdays at 5pm on ITV.
