COST-CUTTING ITV chiefs will not make any new episodes of quiz show The Chase for at least a year.

It means host Bradley Walsh will be available to present Strictly Come Dancing — a role he has been heavily tipped for.

But it also means the programme’s roster of Chasers, such as Mark “The Beast” Labbett and Anne “The Governess” Hegerty, will be out of pocket as they are paid for each show they appear in.

ITV bosses plan to screen repeats of the show, which has been going for 17 years. A source said: “Everyone found out a few weeks ago and people on set were very miffed and upset as they’ll be out of pocket.

“It’s been quite a shock and very disappointing.

“Many crew members feel worried and scared for the future during an uncertain time in TV.

“It’s a deeply unsettling time financially for everyone involved in The Chase. Surely loyal viewers will notice too, if they’re being fed repeat episodes.

“It’s a shame as the show has survived for 17 years and remains one of the most popular quiz shows on telly. It’s won countless awards and is much loved.”

Usually around 120 episodes are made a year in three separate stints of around two months each.

The latest batch finished filming at Elstree Studios, Herts, on Friday.
But there are no plans to film any more in June or October and at least until next April, and ITV did not confirm when it might resume.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “The Chase has just finished recording series 19, which completes its recording schedule for this year.

“ITV will continue to air The Chase as usual, with a combination of new and repeat episodes across the year. With more than 2.5million viewers per show, The Chase remains one of the nation’s most loved quiz shows.

“There is also new Beat the Chasers for 2026 and a brand new spin off series, The Chase Around the World, coming soon.”

Presenter Walsh, 65, is understood to have his own deal with ITV, which is not based on appearances.

In November he set tongues  wagging when he  visited the Strictly set at Elstree, appearing on social media in a picture with the show’s chief dressmaker Theresa Hewlett.

But the Chasers, who also include Shaun “The Dark Destroyer” Wallace, Paul “The Sinnerman” Sinha, Jenny “The Vixen” Ryan and Darragh “The Menace” Ennis, will be hit financially.

However, they have all done very well since joining the series. Anne, who boasts an estimated fortune of £3.2million, revealed last year that she hoped bosses would keep the current pool of six chasers so it would not affect their income.

She said: “We are paid per show, so we’re not on a salary.

“A new Chaser would just mean the same number of shows shared between more people, so less money for everyone. So, hope not.”

She added: “I like my money sitting in my bank and representing a bit of security. I don’t see the point in sloshing money around. I’m not frugal, I’d actually say I’m mean.”

The Chasers earn extra money for the spin-off series Beat The Chasers.

Mark, who is estimated to have a personal fortune of £12.3million, said last year: “That’s the week we earn like Premier League footballers, so of course I’ll do it.

“If I could get away with it, I’d purge half of them because the fewer Chasers there are, the more money I get.”

The decision to pause production of The Chase, which airs at 5pm on weeknights, comes amid huge cuts at ITV with daytime shows and soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street affected.

However, ITV recently posted pre-tax profits of £534million. It also comes with the company in talks with Sky’s US owner Comcast over a potential £1.6billion takeover.

Media finance expert Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at investment platform AJ Bell, said he can understand why ITV feels it can cut costs and still keep The Chase running in its schedule.

He said: “The Chase is one of ITV’s biggest daytime programmes and a consistent winner for the broadcaster. First aired in 2009, it’s become a staple fixture on British TV and audiences love it.

“ITV has 17 years’ worth of quiz show content that arguably won’t have dated too much, hence the idea of just relying on re-runs means it can keep broadcasting episodes without any new production costs.

“A lot of people won’t even notice.

“Advertisers will focus on viewer numbers and reaching the right demographic, and they might feel re-runs of The Chase are still a good place to promote their products and services if there are enough eyeballs.

“Broadcasters are under pressure to watch every penny so it’s no surprise to see ITV go down this path. It won’t work for all types of shows, but quizzes certainly hit the right button.”