Paul Sinha has opened up about one of the hardest parts of doing The Chase – and sadly, it’s an element of the show that will always be inevitable.
It’s been 17 years since the ITV programme first aired, and becoming one of the most popular quiz shows in Britain.
Numerous people have tried their luck against the formidable Chasers, quiz aces who show little mercy as the contestants attempt to win money that could change their lives forever.
Ahead of The Chase’s return on ITV1 and ITX tonight, Paul told Metro how difficult it is to see the ‘misery’ in the eyes of participants who narrowly miss out on the jackpot.
The 56-year-old addressed whether the Chasers can separate themselves from the game, or if they do feel a level of guilt when they beat the players, saying: ‘I think we’re all different in that matter. I think that the standard answer will be that we want to win at all costs, and I totally understand that. But that’s not quite me. I want to win, and I don’t want it to be close.
‘I don’t want them to touch the money and then have it taken away from them. I’d like there to be clear water. I don’t mind if they win and it’s close, but if I’m going to stop some real human beings winning money that could change their lives. I want it to be as uncontroversial as it’s possible to be, because it’s horrible.’
Do you think you could take on the Chasers?
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Yes, I could easily win The Chase
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Yes, but I know it’d be tricky
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It could go either way
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I wouldn’t stand a chance
The former Taskmaster star acknowledged that some of the other Chasers might be ‘more steely and gritty’ to distance themselves ‘between what they’re actually doing and winning a quiz show’.
‘But for me, it’s always hard watching the disappointment in their eyes as a large amount of money slips away. I’d much rather not a close thing,’ The Sinnerman added.
‘Of course, the viewers want it to be close because that’s great telly and it’s drama. But when you’re actually in the studio, we don’t want people weeping their way out of the studio.’
With that in mind, I wondered if Paul ever speaks to the contestants afterwards if the final chase was a close call, if he felt bad about the outcome.
‘I have tactics now,’ he outlined. ‘I’ll talk to the team if it’s been a fairly uneventful defeat for them. I’ll say bad luck. Sorry it turned out that way, but carry on quizzing, and it was a pleasure to play against you.
‘But if they win, I find it really hard to talk to them unless it’s all four, because when it’s all four, that’s a joyous thing. It’s a moment of TV celebration. You doff your cap, you say congratulations, brilliantly played, well done. But if there’s one of them that didn’t win, you look into their eyes, and they’re so miserable.
‘I find it really, really hard. I would much rather lose to a four-player team than three, or two.’
Today, The Chase is returning for a new series, full of moments that Paul promises will ‘blow viewers away’.
He emphasised how the ‘extraordinary’ moments happen on the show because they keep the same ‘really good’ format, remarking: ‘It’s just really nice to know that the show still has the capacity to surprise and shock.’
My conversation with Paul took place before the report that the recently launched spin-off series, The Chase Around The World, had been axed after just one series.
During our chat, he expressed hope that it could return, recalling how ‘lovely’ it was to visit Lisbon and Athens during the quiz series, which saw contestants try to find the Chasers around the world.
‘It’s the first series, and I truly, truly hope we get a second series because it was great fun to record,’ Paul said at the time.
‘It was nice to be taken out of our comfort zone. It was a genuinely lovely experience. Anything with the words “free” and “holiday” or “paid” and “holiday” for us is a great thing. And I’ll leave it to the public to see what they thought of the show.’
Paul stressed that it was important for viewers to remember that The Chase Around The World is very different to the original series of The Chase.
‘It’s about travelling around Europe and using other areas of intelligence as well as The Chase. The narrative is not about the Chasers or about Bradley, and that’s the different thing about Chase Around the World. The narrative is about the contestants taking part in the show, and in that sense, it is very much new territory for us.’
The Chase returns today on ITV1 and ITVX.