The Chase viewers were left fuming on Thursday night after Bradley Walsh accepted an answer that only included a surname.

Bradley Walsh welcomed a fresh quartet of contenders ready to take on Jenny Ryan in the hopes of securing a hefty sum. The beloved Chase aired on Thursday evening as Charlotte, Nilpa, Mike, and Ethan showcased their trivia prowess.

Sadly, Mike’s journey ended prematurely when he was knocked out by ‘The Vixen’ despite being the third participant up to bat.

Charlotte and Nilpa experienced a setback watching Mike leave, having secured their spots for the Final Chase earlier in the game.

Ethan, undaunted and encouraged by his two comrades, took a leap of faith and went for the gusto, playing for an impressive £88,000. The 22-year-old didn’t disappoint, adding a sizable amount to the jackpot, which now totalled a staggering £100,000.

In nail-biting fashion, the team nailed 17 answers in the final round but were agonizingly caught by ‘The Vixen’ with a mere five seconds to spare, reports the Express. This reduced Charlotte to the brink of tears .

The Chase contestants ( Image: (Image: ITV))
Over on X, previously known as Twitter, viewers expressed their angst at the “horrible” finale.

One fan expressed sympathy, saying: “Charlotte looked like she was gonna cry, unlucky #TheChase.”

A second sympathised: “If you was rich, I’d ring up and give Charlotte the money, she looks gutted #thechase.”

A third observed: “Charlotte looks like she is going to cry.”

Another lamented the team’s loss and said: “That was just horrible. Those players deserved that 100k. They were good. Gutted for them #thechase.”

Viewers were up in arms after contestants on ‘The Chase’ missed out on a hefty cash prize by a mere five seconds.

The Chase contestant Charlotte was on the brink of tears ( Image: (Image: ITV))
The controversy sparked during the last round when host Bradley asked The Vixen, “Which Swedish director was nominated for nine Oscars?” Jenny Ryan’s answer of simply “Bergman” was accepted without a first name, sparking outrage among fans.

One irate viewer blasted: “Seriously poor from Brad and The Chase tonight. Team robbed. There are four Bergman film directors in one family alone…surely she had to give a Christian name? #thechase.”

Another chimed in with: “They just got swindled there with that Bergman answer #TheChase.”

A second fan expressed frustration, saying, “Since when do you only give half a name on the chase? ‘Bergman should have been the full name, and the chaser gets away with it again #TheChase.”

Another critic pointed out: “Should have been full name of director not just Bergman! #TheChase.”

One more viewer insisted: “If the player replied ‘Bergman’ to a question, Brad’s response would have been “need more..”