The Chase Around The World sees Bradley Walsh and the Chasers take on the challenge all over Europe, as six teams of two work to win £100,000.
The Chasers are taking on a new challenge (Image: ITV)
Bradley Walsh has offered a tantalising glimpse into just how “heated” ITV’s brand new The Chase spin-off becomes.
Hot on the heels of the smash-hit gameshow‘s success, the broadcaster has unveiled an exciting new format that’s sure to delight fans of Race Across The World.
The Chase Around The World sees Bradley and The Chasers tackle the challenge across Europe, as six pairs of contestants battle it out for a whopping £100,000 prize.
With the opening episode set in Rome, competitors must tackle quiz questions, puzzles and cryptic clues to navigate their way around the city and track down Bradley at the finish line, passing through some of the Italian capital’s most iconic landmarks, including the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
The last-placed team in each city will face a head-to-head showdown against two Chasers, needing to outsmart them to secure their spot in the competition, reports Bristol Live.
Ahead of the new series airing, host Bradley shared: “I would describe it as The Chase… but around the world! It’s out and about. It was very different doing it on location, in these incredible places, instead of being in a studio. I’ve been locked in Elstree Studios for 17 years!
“The locations were unbelievable. I loved it, I really did, but then again, I wasn’t chasing around, literally chasing around, the cities we were in.”
Speaking about how close the competition becomes, he revealed: “The competition really heated up, you could see the contestants thinking, ‘Right, this is what we’ve got to do. This is how to play this game.’
“There were times when some were over-taking others, some were slipping back. And, a couple of times, which is really quite interesting and what I liked, they literally saw each other on the street, or in a place where they were getting a clue.”
Teasing one emotional moment, he went on: “In one city the couple that came in last were devastated, and I mean devastated. One of them couldn’t even bring themselves to look at me. They were so upset.
“But then they get the chance to play against The Chasers and they went and beat them! So they stayed in the contest and were able to play in the next round at the next city – it was brilliant to see! I mean, it was really great.
“All of a sudden you’re saying, ‘All right, well forget that now. You’re now moving onto the next city. You’re still in the race.’
“It was great to watch because their despair turned into such joy. It’s a great dynamic, and it’s a very simple but effective end to this type of show.”
The series will transport viewers from Rome to Barcelona, Lisbon to Paris, Zurich in the Alps and finally in Athens, with an ITV spokesperson previously teasing: “It was an amazing odyssey of quiz and a really exciting series, something very different, giving you all the quiz you love from the main show but also some real live action at the same time, but also some real jeopardy and excitement as they race across each city.”
The contestants taking part include a mother and daughter who brand themselves the “Not so Dumb Blondes”, sisters, a newly-engaged couple, a father and son, a father and daughter who have previously appeared on The Family Chase and were hoping for a redemptive arc, and two friends working in Parliament who had only known each other for six months before taking on the adventure.
The Chase Around The World starts Thursday, July 16, at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player, and continues weekly on ITV1 and ITVX