Bradley Walsh has taken chase around the world in a new spin-off that sends six pairs racing across Europe for a £100k prize. The move shifts The Chase out of Elstree Studios and into location filming, with the opening leg starting in Rome.
Walsh in Rome
Walsh said, “It was very different doing it on location, in these incredible places, instead of being in a studio,” and added, “The locations were unbelievable.” That is the clearest sign of how far ITV has pushed the format: this is not a studio refresh, but a full geography change for a long-running quiz machine.
The race then heads to Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon and Athens, before contestants also travel to the Swiss Alps. One challenge takes place at Piz Gloria, the mountaintop restaurant featured in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which gives the run a more elaborate route than a standard episode ever could.
Six pairs, six Chasers
All six Chasers join Walsh on the journey: Anne Hegerty, Mark Labbett, Paul Sinha, Jenny Ryan, Shaun Wallace and Darragh Ennis. Each leg sends the pairs through streets while they solve questions and puzzles set by the Chasers, so the format keeps the quiz element but adds movement, timing and place.
Walsh said, “The competition really heated up,” and noted, “You could see contestants thinking, ‘Right, this is what we’ve got to do. This is how to play this game.’” He also said, “A couple of times, they literally saw each other on the street, or in a place where they were getting a clue.”
Penalty on the next leg
The race has a clean but unforgiving structure. The first pair to arrive secures a place in the next round and moves on to the next city, while the duo finishing last must immediately face the Chasers in a quick-fire quiz round. Winning pairs can also hand one rival pair either a five-minute or 10-minute penalty at the start of the following race.
Walsh said, “In one city, the couple that came in last were devastated,” adding, “One of them couldn’t even bring themselves to look at me.” He said, “They were so upset.” That is the hard edge inside the format: a travel game that still ends with a direct quiz squeeze, and one that can turn a slow leg into a heavier burden on the next city.
Piz Gloria and the route
Mark Labbett said, “In the studio, it’s really organised. You turn up at a certain time, get changed, hair and makeup, on set, finish, back out,” before adding, “With location filming, it’s totally different. Everything’s in flux.” Anne Hegerty said, “We had to hide behind various props, including a newspaper, and the contestants ran past us,” while Paul Sinha said, “There’s no escape on this particular show, you’re out the”
That is the point of the new series: the format keeps The Chase's core pressure, but makes every leg visible, physical and more expensive to lose. With six pairs, six Chasers and a £100k prize on the line, the first city-to-city run is built to reward speed and punish hesitation from the opening episode in Rome through the Swiss Alps.
