VIEWERS of The Chase were left in stitches after noticing a ‘hilarious’ pattern on the popular ITV game show.
Each episode features a team of four people competing against a professional quizzer, hoping to win large amounts of money.
Although the players are strangers to each other, fans have sometimes noticed connection within each of their names.
One episode had contestants named Liz, Anya, Ravi and Oli – which, if said out loud, sounds like ‘lasagna’ and ‘ravioli’, both types of pasta.
An episode of which aired in 2017 reminded viewers of hit US sitcom Friends.
The four contestants were called Ross, Rachael, Phoebe and Joe.
One viewer of The Chase joked: “Things got a bit rough for the Friends gang after Monica and Chandler moved away.”
On another occasion,which was in December 2020, the arrangement of the player’s names showed the bosses wanted viewers to pick up on the theme.
This group were called Ginger, Roger, Fred and Alistair – with fans pointing out the homage to the greatest ever movie dance pairing, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
It took host Bradley Walsh until after the first player had competed to realise though, as he said: “Oh! Hang on, hang on everyone!
“Hold the line caller, I’ve got it. Ginger, Roger, Fred, Alistair, wow!”
A further episode from 2021 nodded to one of the most beloved British sitcoms.
The contestants’ names were Delon, Rachel, Rodney and Cassie, with viewer automatically linking it to classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses.
This link didn’t escape viewers, many of whom tweeted: “This time next year, they’ll be millionaires.”
April 2021 saw a musical theme for the contestants’ names.
The quartet of Donna, Samantha, Harry and Bill each went head-to-head with Paul Sinha, although viewers noticed the names of all four contestants were characters from the 2008 musical Mamma Mia!
In November 2021, The Chase viewers picked up on another Easter Egg from bosses as the four players all had names relating to music icons.
The Chase: Current lineup of Chasers on the ITV show
The Chase first premiered on ITV back in 2009 and has become a firm favourite among viewers since then. The roster of professional quizzers ('chasers') has grown significantly since the show's launch.
- Mark Labbett (2009 – present): Known as ‘The Beast’, Mark is a former Maths teacher and previously won £32,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Mark has also reprised his role as a Chaser in the US and Australian versions of the show.
- Shaun Wallace (2009 – present): Shaun, a barrister and former Mastermind champion, goes by the ‘Dark Destroyer’. Shaun has appeared on the Australian version of The Chase. In 2008, he finished as runner-up to Barry Simmons in Are You an Egghead?, a contest to find a new member of then-BBC quiz team.
- Anne Hegerty (2010 – present): A former contestant on Mastermind, Fifteen To One and Are You an Egghead?, Anne goes by ‘The Governess’. Since joining The Chase, she appeared on I’m A Celebrity… in 2018.
- Paul Sinha (2011-present): Comedian and qualified doctor Paul joined the Chaser line-up in 2011, taking the nickname ‘The Sinnerman’. He has appeared on The Weakest Link, University Challenge and Brain of Britain. In 2018, Paul starred in series 8 of popular game show Taskmaster.
- Jenny Ryan: Known as ‘The Vixen’, Jenny was previously in a winning team on Only Connect. She also appeared in Mastermind, The Weakest Link and Fifteen To One before joining The Chase in 2015.
- Darragh Ennis: A postdoctoral researcher, Darragh joined The Chase in 2020 as ‘The Menace’. He is the first former contestant to join the line-up, having been part of a winning team against Paul Sinha in 2017.
Lining up to face one of the formidable chasers were Prince, Tina, Elvis and Adele.
Host Bradley Walsh quipped: “Prince and the King in one show, can’t believe it.”
Those watching at home also pointed out the connection, with one writing: “The line-up for tonight’s episode is a gig I’d definitely be up for seeing. Adele, Elvis, Tina & Prince #TheChase”.
The Chase airs on ITV1 and is available on ITVX.
