UK contestants on The Chase win record-breaking prize

Monday, 9 September 2024

Two contestants on UK quiz show The Chase have taken home the show’s largest ever prize.

Karen and Ian won a whopping £100,000 ($213,000) between them in the 17th season of the show, making them the most successful contestants ever.

The pair were the last contestants remaining, facing Chaser Paul Sinha (AKA, The Sinnerman) in a two-minute test round.

They managed to get 16 questions right, a score The Sinnerman would ordinarily overcome with ease. But with 10 seconds left on the clock, Sinha answered the 15th question wrong.

Karen and Ian could not answer the same question.

The host, Bradley Walsh, then asked Sinha a new question: “Lesley Manville played the widow Cathy in what BBC sitcom?”

Sinha answered incorrectly again, bringing the question back to the Karen and Ian, who also got it wrong.

With only one second left, the next question could not be read in time. Sihna incorrectly guessed “green” in a rush.

Realising they had just won $213,000, Karen yelled “Yes!” before embracing Ian.

Walsh said it was a “close” game.

Karen accepted an offer of $200,015, while Ian chose to walk away with $12,767 in cash immediately.

They won the biggest prize since 2018, where four contestants bested Ann Hegerty (AKA, The Governess), splitting around $212,700.

Karen is a science and maths tutor from Macclesfield Cheshire, and Ian is a magician from Middlesex, Greater London.