One of the stars of ITV’s The Chase got into hot water over remarks he made to a contestant in a recent episode.
Darragh “The Menace” Ennis drew criticism from fans online over his “pointless” remark to Ryan, a dental surgeon from Glasgow.
The 26-year-old joined fellow teammates Gail, Andrew, and Nicola to challenge one of Britain’s top quiz brains, and they got off to a good start after Nicola managed to bag £5,000 in the Cash Builder for the team.
However, controversy arose when Ryan stepped up to answer a question about the hit 1970s detective show Kojak.
Host Bradley Walsh asked: “The TV detective Kojak was noted for frequently sucking on what – pipe, lollipop or dummy?” Ryan incorrectly guessed a pipe, while the correct answer was a lollipop. Darragh remarked it was “before your time,” explaining why Ryan got it wrong.
Eventually, the contestant had the last laugh, beating The Menace and increasing the total prize fund to £9,000.
Darragh’s comment did not go unnoticed, reports the Liverpool Echo. One viewer criticised online: “What’s the point in Darragh saying it’s before your time and then going on to say it’s a bit before my time too, but still getting the question right.”
Others chimed in, such as this person: “Can’t believe I know things exist and happened before 1979… Mind blown…” Another viewer remarked: “Kojak was before my time I must’ve saw the repeats,” while a fourth person said: “Before your time klaxon.”
Where Ryan proved successful, Gail faltered, her stint on the show ended prematurely after losing to The Menace. Bradley described her early departure as a “blow to the team.”
After earning £3,000 in the Cash Builder, final player Andrew was “tempted” by the higher offer of £81,000 but chose to play it safe, hoping to rejoin his teammates.
After a successful round against The Menace, Andrew boosted the prize fund to £12,000, joining Nicola and Ryan in the final chase.
Darragh offered friendly advice to the team before the round: “You all need to answer more questions than you did in the Cash Builder round to make this a proper game.”
However, The Chaser caught up with their combined score of 15 with nine seconds left. Viewers commented on the team’s performance, with one fan stating they were “too slow,” while another remarked, “They were a bit slow. They could have gotten more, but I guess pressure.”
One viewer summarised: “Well, that performance sums up today’s show… dull.”
The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV1; catch up on all episodes on ITVX