Viewers say Mark Labbett, also known as The Beast, answered the question after the timer had hit zero. Photo / screenshot
Viewers say Mark Labbett, also known as The Beast, answered the question after the timer had hit zero. Photo / screenshot
Viewers of ITV's The Chase have branded the show a "fix" after The Beast's shock win during Sunday's episode.
After a series of incorrect replies it looked like Chaser, Mark Labbett might lose, until he answered a question correctly in the nick of time, causing the team to lose and walk away without a penny of their $59,000 (£30,000) prize pot, according to the Daily Mail.
However, viewers claimed to have seen the timer hit zero before he answered the question, meaning he was out of time and the team should have rightfully won the money.
Dozens of viewers took to Twitter to criticise the win, with one tweeting: "That was a fix, it was on zero!"
The Chase host Bradley Walsh said "it doesn't get any closer than that". Photo / screenshot
Teammates Patricia, Marina and Graham had made it to the Final Chase, and answered 21 questions correctly, which The Beast had to beat in order to knock them out of the competition.
He had answered seven questions wrongly, but needed just one more point to beat the team when The Chase's host Bradley Walsh asked him one final question with just seconds to spare.
Bradley said: "Watchmaker Longines was founded in which country?"
The Beast shouted out the correct answer of "Switzerland", which then knocked the team out of the game and took away their winnings.
A breathless Bradley said: "Yes! Just in time. Switzerland. A split second, caught. I tell you what guys, it doesn't get any closer than that."
However, viewers claimed that the countdown had already hit zero when The Beast had given his answer.
One tweeted: "100% CHASER LOST!!!! #TheChase what a fix!!!! £30k !!!!! WENT ZERO before the answer [sic]."
"Well that was a ridiculous fix. #justiceforgraham," another posted.
Teammates Patricia, Marina and Graham lost the $59,000 (£30,000) they'd earned throughout the game. Photo / screenshot
A third posted: "How wrong today, the beast hadn't finished answering the question yet they let hime have it? When Bradley is asking questions if they haven't finished answering before the time runs out there not given it!! What a fix [sic]."
Another wrote: "#TheChase is a fix!!! The countdown was over but apparently he got the answer on time! If it was the other way around the guests wouldn't have been in time. #ITV sort it out."
Even The Beast appeared to be shocked by his win, telling the team they "deserved" to win.
He said: "You didn't deserve to lose, I'm really sorry guys. You were superb."
This isn't the first time viewers have accused The Chase of being fixed because of a problem with the timer during the Final Chase.
Earlier this year Chaser Anne Hegerty - who goes by the name The Governess - answer a question with a second left to spare, beating contestant Maggie and taking away the $98,000 (£50,000) she'd earned.
