Bradley Walsh was left stunned after Mark Labbett walked off the set of The Chase following a nail-biting defeat by a single point. The episode, broadcast on Wednesday, February 18, saw four contestants—Paul, 39, a primary school teacher; Babs, 58, a housewife; Joe, 24, a PhD student; and Helen, 61, a retired civil servant—build a prize pot of £17,000.
In the final chase, the team scored 19, which Labbett had to beat. With one second remaining and one question left, he shouted 'cheese' to host Bradley Walsh, but it was incorrect. The team celebrated victory as Labbett told them, 'Well played, guys,' before departing.
Walsh remarked, 'Oh, the big bad boy of quizzing is off...he's bashing everything and he's lost his cool completely.' He added, 'Well, that's the way it goes. It's a very, very, very fine margin, folks, it really is.'
Viewers reacted on social media, with one calling Labbett 'a sore loser' and another suggesting the walk-off was scripted. Others expressed disbelief or sarcastic amusement.
During the final chase, Labbett struggled, giving the team four pushback opportunities, of which they answered three correctly. In one awkward moment, he answered 'Remy Malek' to a question about actor Rami Malek's twin, only for Walsh to correct him; the team had also answered incorrectly.
