Why is Chaser star Mark Labbett no longer on the US TV series?

The Chase’s Mark Labbett announces he’s been axed from ITV show’s US version

Mark Labbett, aka The Beast, has opened up about being axed from the show’s American series

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Mark Labbett – otherwise known as The Beast – has announced that he’s been axed from the US version of The Chase.

The quizzing star explained he felt “gutted” after he was not asked to return as a chaser for the American counterpart, having been the show’s first and only chaser when it initially aired in 2013, and after returning last year with a batch of new brainiacs.

Who are the chasers and what is the jackpot?

The brand new 2022 series, which is set to air in the US in the coming weeks, will run without Mark, 56, after he revealed in February that his contract had not been renewed for the show’s third season.
He expressed his disappointment at having not been selected to continue on the show online.

When asked by a fan whether he would not be reappearing , he admitted: “No, they just didn’t renew me. No reason was offered.”

The news came after The Chase’s US account tweeted: “New season. New Chasers.”

It continued: “Victoria Groce, Brandon Blackwell, and Buzzy Cohen join Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer on May 3 when #TheChase returns.”

Who are the chasers on the British TV series

The six chasers are Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Paul Sinha, Jenny Ryan, and Darragh Ennis. Labbett and Wallace have both been chasers since series 1, while Hegerty joined in series 2, Sinha in series 4, Ryan in series 9 and Ennis in series 13. With rare exceptions for special episodes, only one chaser participates in any given episode.

Back to the US news: Game show star and professional sports gambler James Holzhauer, as well as quiz-loving actor Brad Rutter were Mark’s previous co-stars, while Victoria and Brandon are joining the show for the first time.

Mark’s schedule has stayed busy, as he and his fellow ITV quiz queens and kings have been busy filming a new series of The Chase UK.

Mark recently won praise from fans of the teatime quiz show after he made a kind gesture towards a partially blind contestant.

Who is the chaser host?

The Chase host Bradley Walsh is an undisputed mainstay of the ITV quiz show, having been hosting it since it first began back in 2009