When is The Chase back on ITV?
The popular quiz show has taken a break while presenter Bradley Walsh hosts ITV's Cash Trapped
There's good news for quiz fans – popular game show The Chase will be back on ITV this Christmas, with two festive specials, followed by the return of the classic series.
The hit show sees contestants compete against one of several different 'Chasers' – trivia experts who have proven their talent on other game shows – to win a cash prize. The new year will also see the beginning of a new spin-off called Beat the Chasers, featuring several of the quiz experts from The Chase.
The Chase has been a tremendous hit for ITV since its debut in 2009, airing every weekday at 5pm, but the series has been on hiatus since 11th November while its presenter, Bradley Walsh, hosts a different game show in the same slot – ITV's Cash Trapped.
Find out everything you need to know about the return of The Chase below...
When is The Chase back on ITV?
There has been no official announcement about when the series will return, although Anne Hegerty, the Chaser known on the show as 'The Governess', revealed on Twitter that the series will be back in December, with two new festive specials set to air before Christmas.
Hegerty said that Cash Trapped "is only on for five weeks, and this year we have TWO Christmas specials for you!!", although ITV had previously stated that series four of Cash Trapped was commissioned for 15 hour-long episodes.
However, Hegerty admitted that she didn't know whether the new regular episodes of The Chase will broadcast in December or January, noting that: "transmission schedule and recording schedule are quite separate."
What will change in the next series of The Chase?
When the hit show does return, there might be a few changes – with ITV suggesting they will be adding new Chasers into the mix.
Walsh told RadioTimes.com "We're making more and more shows all the time. So we need to recruit more people all the time."
He added: "It could be more than one, who knows. But it's a proper shake-up."
Is The Chase being replaced by Beat the Chasers?
The Chase has already given birth to one spin-off – The Chase Celebrity Special, which can be seen at the moment on ITV – and the team have just announced that The Chase would be receiving another, in the form of Beat the Chasers.
Scheduled to premiere in 2020, Beat the Chasers will see the current Chasers – Mark “The Beast” Labbett, Paul “The Sinnerman” Sinha, Anne “The Governess” Hegerty, Shaun “The Dark Destroyer” Wallace and Jenny “The Vixen” Ryan – team up and challenge some fearless contestants.
The show will air in primetime, however, meaning it will not conflict with The Chase's regular teatime time-slot. So it's just a matter of time before the nation's favourite daytime quiz show returns in full.
