ITV : Beat The Chasers

*The contents of this press pack are embargoed until 00.01 Tuesday 7th September 2021*

BEAT THE CHASERS S4 PRESS PACK

Host - Bradley Walsh

What was it like having all six Chasers there for series 4?

Bradley: "These are the best in the business, all six Chasers are at the top of their game and to see them all work together was sensational. Their knowledge is just incredible. But Beat The Chasers means they have to work differently - it's something to behold watching those minds tick over at speed; both to get the answer and not get in the way of a teammate."

And there were huge offers on the table- what was that like?

Bradley: "When the Chasers started offering hundreds of thousands of pounds it was electric. The feeling in the room when there's huge sums like that on offer is something else. Without a doubt this is the biggest series and the biggest challenge but with the chance of the biggest reward!"

Chasers - Paul Sinha

What was it like working as a full set of six Chasers?

Paul: "It was very exciting - not least because Darragh's exceptional science knowledge meant we all stepped up as a team."

Did you agree tactics/ what were the team tactics if so?

Paul: "I'm certainly not going to reveal team tactics! But we certainly had them. Nonetheless, when that clock's ticking down, it was hard to remember them."

Do you have any pre-show rituals as a team? Or do you have your own?

Paul: "The only pre-show ritual that we have as a team is that we remember to get dressed."

How did you prepare for this series? Did you focus on any topic in particular/ did you focus

on speed?

Paul: "I prepared like I prepare for every series - relentless hard work."

Who should we look out for?

Paul: "Naming no names, there were both unexpected triumphs and unexpected disasters. I shall say no more."

How would you sum up this series of Beat the Chasers?

Paul: "Massive offers, and massive performances."

How would you sum up this series' contestants?

Paul: "They were certainly the most prepared."

This series came with the biggest cash prizes - what was the atmosphere like in the room

when those big money offers were made?

Paul: "Absolutely electric. Everybody wants to be there when television history is made."

Any stand out celebrations from contestants/ is there an all-six Chasers standing ovation

at all?

Paul: "There are quite a lot of standing ovations, and one particularly-memorable - and

unexpected - celebration."

How would you describe each of the other Chasers in their role on Beat the Chasers?

Paul: "Shaun: Sporty; Mark: Scary; Jenny: Ginger; Anne: Posh; Darragh: Baby."

Jenny Ryan

What was it like working as a full set of six Chasers?

Jenny: "It's great to be all together with my five colleagues. We all have slightly different skill sets and specialities so it's reassuring to know that we have most bases covered between us."

Did you agree tactics/ what were the team tactics if so?

Jenny: "Our rule of thumb is, 'Think, then buzz - don't buzz then think!' We all want to be quick on the buzzer but we've been training ourselves out of the tendency to rush, and make sure we leave each question for the right person to answer. We've got ourselves in trouble before, so we are all about accuracy over absolute speed this series."

Do you have any pre-show rituals as a team? Or do you have your own?

Jenny: "We do have a quick huddle before a show - we are a team, after all, and we treat quizzing as a sport. My pre-show ritual is to have a nice cup of camomile tea!"

How did you prepare for this series? Did you focus on any topic in particular/ did you focus on speed?

Jenny: "We've all been keeping up our general knowledge and practicing as per usual in between series; I think what we have been working on is our focus and our team tactics. We all want to be the fastest but that is when mistakes are made - the biggest (and hardest) preparation is switching to 'team mode' and removing our egos from the situation!"

What were some of the stand out moments between you and the contestants/ Bradley and the contestants?

Jenny: "We were on tenterhooks waiting for a contestant to get all five Cashbuilder questions right so we could make the Super Offer - it was really exciting when that finally happened!"

Who should we look out for?

Jenny: "As ever there are some familiar faces who are known quantities in the world of quiz. We love facing really good quizzers so we get a buzz when we hear a name called out that we recognise."

Any dramatic moments between the Chasers?

Jenny: "We are doing our best to play as a team so we try to avoid recriminations over blunders - my face pulls some involuntary expressions when someone makes an error, though!"

What were some of the funny moments between the Chasers you can tease?

Jenny: "Shaun's celebrity impersonations get an airing, and Darragh confuses cats and apes…"

Did any Chaser/ contestant surprise you with an answer?

Jenny: "There were some cracking answers from contestants to keep them in the game, but on our side Anne is the queen of the crucial answer. She will come up with something brilliant when the rest of us are floundering."

How would you sum up this series of Beat the Chasers?

Jenny: "Bigger and better than ever!"

How would you sum up this series' contestants?

Jenny: "The contestants this series have definitely been practising and working out their tactics, especially regarding which offer to go for. Most of them, anyway! We're seeing more contestants who play the game properly, take the best offer for their ability/confidence level, and give themselves a real chance."

This series came with the biggest cash prizes - what was the atmosphere like in the room when those big money offers were made?

Jenny: "The pressure level certainly goes up when you're offering life-changing amounts of cash! It was really exciting, and especially thrilling to have the audience respond to those incredible Super Offers!"

Any stand out celebrations from contestants/ is there an all-six Chasers standing ovation at all?

Jenny: "We give credit where it's due, so we may get to our feet this series…"

What's your favourite thing about working on Beat the Chasers?

Jenny: "It's not what you'd expect a Chaser to say, but I love it when contestants do well. It's amazing to see people take on this immense challenge in the first place, but when they actually perform under pressure and play the game as it's meant to be played, it's a privilege to be in the same room. It's magical."

How would you describe each of the other Chasers in their role on Beat the Chasers?

Jenny: "Paul is our speed demon, he's incredibly accurate as well, closely followed by Mr Buzzer himself Mark. Anne is the specialist - she comes in with the answers to the toughies that have left us floundering. Darragh and Shaun are on the wings (literally) and especially cover science, sport and history. I know Mark probably will say he's the captain but I think it's me. I'm always reminding the team about our tactics (we play differently if it's a 10 second head start or a 20 second head start) and I'm the one who usually makes the quick decision about throwing a pass or guess in when I sense the team has nothing. I probably stack up the most 'incorrect' answers but they're tactical and deliberate, not errors."

Darragh Ennis

What was it like working as a full set of six Chasers?

Darragh: "So much fun. This time we had an audience which was great but most

importantly we had Paul who is such a strong addition to our team."

Did you agree tactics/ what were the team tactics if so?

Darragh: "Yes we have a few key tactics. The main one is think then buzz, once you

buzz you should be able to answer straight away. The other thing is that we all have

our specialities and you don't jump in on someone else's specialist subject unless

you're 100% sure you know the answer."

Do you have any pre-show rituals as a team? Or do you have your own?