The Chase’s Bradley Walsh reveals why the show has lawyers in the studio

The Chase is a much-loved quiz show that appears to run seamlessly, but host Bradley Walsh has revealed a behind-the-scenes secret many fans may not know.

The Mirror has reported the show - which films three episodes a day each taking 90 minutes to record, must follow many rules and regulations to make sure it is a fair game. And while rare, there can be slip-ups that result in frustrated viewers questioning the integrity of the show meaning there must be lawyers on set at all times.

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The most recent call-out came in December last year when Chaser Mark Labbett aka The Beast managed to catch a team of four - who made it back from the cash builder - mere seconds before they could have taken home the huge prize money.

Another reason lawyers are in the studio is that Walsh doesn’t get to see the questions before filming commences - something that occasionally causes blunders like the infamous “Fanny Chmelar” moment 13 years ago in which Walsh burst into laughter upon hearing the name of former alpine skier Fanny Chmelar.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Walsh said, “If there is a slight misread, I am stopped immediately – bang – by the lawyers,”

“We have the compliance lawyers in the studio all the time. What you have to do is go back to the start of the question, literally on video tape where my mouth opens – or where it’s closed from the previous question – and the question is re-asked. It is stopped to the split second.”

He added: “It means no time is lost for either the contestant or the Chaser.”

On average, Walsh takes 3.6 to 4 seconds to ask a question, with the host telling the radio show, “You have to be at such a speed: if you’re a contestant and I go ‘what’s… the capital… of France… ' they’d be dead and buried in 30 seconds.

“I have to make sure they get up to speed and they’re getting about 18 or 19 questions answered correctly. That’s the real banana skin score [that will trip the chasers up]. Once the chasers get in a rhythm there’s no stopping them. They can answer 24, 25 questions in two minutes. We’ve even almost reached 30.”

According to the Mirror, as well as lawyers on set, the show ensures a fair and balanced game by employing Beyond Dispute - a professional monitoring company that randomly selects questions to maintain the integrity of the selection process.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.