Jenny Ryan one of the chasers on The Chase UK quiz show.
Jenny Ryan one of the chasers on The Chase UK quiz show.
A fan asked one of The Chase's expert quizzers what would happen if a contestant wound up with a prize amount of £0.
Jenny Ryan, known as The Vixen on the popular quiz show, was given a scenario in which this could happen. The viewer said it was something that had "bugged me forever".
"Jen, a question that's bugged me forever; if the first 3 contestants are knocked out and the last contestant gets 0 on the cash builder, what would be the middle and bottom offers?" they wrote. "Surely not 0?"
The viewer then painted another scenario; "Equally what if the first contestant gets 0 and takes £0 but no one else gets thru?"
Before The Vixen could respond her Chase co-star Anne Hegerty, famously known as The Governess, came back with an answer.
"There would be no lower offer, just a higher offer," she said.
Anne Hegerty, one of the chasers on The Chase UK quiz show.
However the viewer was unsatisfied with that outcome, writing, "Ok but what if the first contestant gets £0 in the cash builder and no one else gets through? Or do you mean in the case that the first contestant gets £0, they'd have to go for the higher offer by default"
"They needn't go for the higher offer," she replied. "They could take their zero and try to get back to the table, and if they managed it they would be an extra step in the final chase, and they'd have to hope someone else brought some money back."
The exchange continued with the viewer asking, "But would you make the final contestant play for £0? I'd just go home at that point tbh".
Surprisingly, yes, The Governess said, revealing that contestants have signed a contract meaning they'd have to play on. She then said it would be the contestants "fault" for giving incorrect answers or not "or having the courage to go high".
The Vixen then chimed in citing the rules.
"I believe that, according to the rules, if nobody seats 1-3 gets through and seat 4 gets 0 in their cashbuilder, then there is no lower offer and no option to go with the £0. It's high offer only."
This prompted the Governess to say, "I don't know whether they're obliged to, but they virtually always would, because otherwise what's the point? What are they trying to get back for? If they get knocked out, at least they have a chance of winning a thousand pounds at the end."
The last word went to The Vixen who said she hopes such a convoluted sequence of events will never occur.
"There is certainly a rule for this situation," she tweeted. "But let's pray it never has to be enforced."
