The Chase Around the World contestants went up against each other in Paris in the latest instalment
Bradley Walsh hosts the ITV show(Image: ITV screengrab)
The Chase fans all said the same thing as the ITV show’s spin-off arrived in France.
New series The Chase Around the World started last month and sees six pairs of contestants on a global adventure, where they are tasked with solving a series of questions and challenges in different countries to try and track down the Chasers and host Bradley Walsh. The pair who arrive last in each place will then have to face the Chasers in a quiz.
In the latest instalment, the hopefuls were in Paris, where they had to answer a series of French-themed questions. In one segment two of the pairs had to stay at a classic French brasserie and answer food and drink questions before they could continue on with the race.
However, some viewers felt it wasn’t a fair comparison as one duo was offered snails and the other was offered garlic.
Mother and daughter Nicola and Maddie were first and were told: “Here you’ll need to answer three multiple choice questions correctly. Get one wrong, and you’ll be frozen out of the game for five minutes.
“But there’s a shortcut. Wrong answers can be removed if you have the stomach for it.” They were then told they could “eat a snail or clove of garlic to remove a wrong option”.
Maddie looked horrified, exclaiming: “I am never ever in my life going to try a snail. The thought of it makes me genuinely nauseous.”
But when Nicola decided that she wasn’t confident about the question they’d been given, she decided to tuck in. “It was vile… it was gritty,” she said afterwards.
However, when father and daughter Ashwin and Nikita entered the restaurant, they had a choice of garlic and onions.
“Nikita and Ashwin are vegans – snails are off the menu, replaced by raw onion and garlic,” the voiceover explained.
Some viewers weighed in on X as it aired, with one insisting: “Can’t compare onion to snails.”
“Raw onion is much easier to eat than a snail…. probably,” someone else posted on the platform, which was formerly Twitter.
“Raw onions instead of snails… not a fair comparison,” said someone else. Another likened it to a scene from I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, joking: “This snail eating is like watching a Bushtucker Trial.”
Bradley Walsh was back on screens for a new episode of ITV’s The Chase Around The World
Bradley Walsh’s new ITV show has viewers saying same thing ‘you’re worth more!’(Image: ITV)
Viewers watching The Chase Around The World were all left saying the same thing.
The ITV spin-off show returned to screens on Thursday (July 30) – hosted by beloved presenter Bradley Walsh. The latest programme saw the remaining teams land in Lisbon, racing through the city towards the finishing point.
Required to solve various puzzles and answer questions throughout their route, the teams had to successfully complete games involving custard tarts, tins of sardines, phone boxes and tuk-tuks.
However, it appears viewers were not that impressed with the latest instalment, with several disgruntled fans airing their thoughts on X.
One person moaned: “I really hope they don’t do another series of this. I really thought this was gonna be good but it’s s**t.”
Someone else chimed in: “Feels like a rip off of the BBC’s Race around the World but with a few quiz questions.” A third added: “Should be called The Chase Across Europe cos they are only going to European Cities!”
A fourth person penned: “Totally boring, half a dozen silly questions and people running round back streets for hours. You’re worth more Brad!!!”
Nonetheless, when the show first aired a few weeks back, the reception was positive.
On Facebook, one person said: “Loved it. Watching G No 3 now. It’s great if you like general knowledge.” Another wrote: “I quite liked it.” Someone else penned: “I liked it but wow the questions were hard.”
It comes after host Bradley Walsh gushed about the exciting new spin-off series. He teased: “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.”
Discussing how intense the competition became, he disclosed: “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.”
The Chase Around The World airs every Thursday at 9pm on ITV1.
Gladiators star Cyclone, whose real name is Lystus Ebosele, has featured on the BBC show since January 2025 but is now said to have been axed along with two others
11:29, 30 Jul 2026Updated 11:31, 30 Jul 2026
Cyclone has reportedly been axed from Gladiators after more than a year on the BBC hit (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Hungry Bear/Shutterstock/Getty)
Another one bites the dust… Cyclone has become the third professional to be axed from BBC show Gladiators. The TV star, whose real name is Lystus Ebosele, joined Bradley and Barney Walsh’s BBC revival of the 1990s classic last year, and has so far filmed two series.
But just as production got underway at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield for the next series of the reboot, Lystus, 25, is said to have been cut from the line-up and is not impressed with bosses.
A source told The Sun: “Cyclone won’t be back and she’s not happy about it. She’s now cut all ties with the show – it’s a pity as fans absolutely loved her.” The powerlifting champion has also unfollowed the official Instagram account for the programme and deleted all pictures of herself on the show.
News of Lystus’ exit comes just days after it was reported that Matty Campbell, who stars as Bionic, and Karenjeet Kaur Bains, better know to fans as Athena, had also been axed from the show, having missed out on a considerable amount of the last series after both suffering injuries.
A source said: “They won’t film this year for the show but could be back for the tour, depending on how they recover from their injuries.”
Earlier this year, Giant, 40, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, departed Gladiators amid much controversy when he went public with then-girlfriend Taylor Ryan, 28, and it emerged that she worked as a model on OnlyFans.
Execs were quick to air their disapproval, and the athlete said that he was “shocked and disappointed” by the move, which he directly linked to his partner’s racy work. It was then reported that body builder and fitness instructor Ahmad Rabus, 37, would act as his replacement, and it became apparent that he would be one of several new faces on the show.
Team GB medallist Tabby Stoecker, along with fitness influencer Florence Wong and World’s Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman are reportedly in the lineup, whilst The Sun also reported that former England rugby star Joe Marler would be making an appearance.
The new series will introduce a soon to be revealed event, as well as the other well known challenges such as Duel, Hang Tough and the Eliminator. Popular additions from the previous series — Everest, Destruction and Suspension Bridge — are also set to return after receiving a strong response from viewers.
Produced by Hungry Bear Media in partnership with MGM Alternative UK, part of Amazon MGM Studios, Gladiators remains one of the BBC’s flagship entertainment programmes.
The most recent series, which came to an end in March, attracted an average audience of 4.6 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer over a 28-day period, while continuing to perform particularly strongly among younger audiences.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, BBC’s Head of Entertainment, said: “Since Gladiators burst back onto screens in 2024, it’s been amazing to see families across the UK rally behind the contenders and champion our phenomenal Gladiators as the true stars of Saturday nights.
“With a brand‑new series confirmed and another celebrity special on the way, audiences can look forward to even more colossal clashes, even more edge of your seat excitement and plenty of opportunities to raise those foam fingers high once again.”
The Mirror has contacted representatives for comment.
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
James Jordan thinks the recent Strictly Come Dancing “bloodbath”, which saw a string of professionals axed from the BBC show, was just “getting rid of dead wood”
James Jordan has said the recent culling of several Strictly Come Dancing professionals was “getting rid of dead wood”(Image: Rex)
James Jordan has said the recent culling of several Strictly Come Dancing professionals was “getting rid of dead wood”. The TV star, 48, served as a professional on the BBC Saturday night favourite from 2006 until 2013, and has now spoken out on the mass shakeups that have occurred ahead of the next series going to air.
It was then confirmed earlier this year that professional dancers Karen Hauer, the longest-serving pro on the series, along with Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas would not be returning to the series.
But James has now insisted that the changes were what was “needed” to give another set of pros a chance. He told the Press Association: “When you join Strictly, you’re taking someone’s job, OK? And people forget that because they’re on the show, but then when they’re asked to leave, and then they’re replaced, they’re only worried about that.
“But they forget at some point, they took someone’s job. It’s just showbiz, that’s what it is. Enjoy it for what it is – it is a juggernaut of a show, and it was an honour for all of us to be part of it for so many years.
“But you have to remember that it will come to an end at some point, and all this controversy around, ‘oh, they’re changing so many of the pros’… it needed a shakeup. Some of the pros have been on there for 14 years… dead wood… get rid of them and bring someone younger in, in my opinion.”
But fellow former Strictly professional dancer Ian Waite said: “In my opinion, they got rid of the wrong ones.” He said: “All the professional dancers are amazing in their own right, but you can’t stay on there forever. At some point, you have to give the younger ones a chance, because there’s so many amazing dancers out there.”
James then claimed that bosses could have “got rid of some of the judges as well,” with the panel currently made up of Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood, before hitting out at how “politically correct” he thinks it has become in recent years.
He added: “It’s all got nicey-nicey now, isn’t it? It’s all politically correct, and ‘you can’t say this, and you can’t say that’. You can’t be negative because they’re (the contestants) are gonna cry. It’s a dance show. You need that baddie… but even Craig now is kind of toned down a lot.” He then called for the “reality” of the series to be shown to viewers.
“It’s all like everyone loves everyone, and we’re all one big happy family. That’s not life, that’s not real life. I want to see how hard they’re working in the training room. I want to see the tears. I think that’s the magic that needs to come back.”
James’ own exit from the show came as a result of him choosing to turn down the offer of a reduced role, which would have meant that he would have not been paired with a celebrity on the main programme having previously competed with the likes of broadcaster Vanessa Feltz, actress Denise Van Outen and The One Show’s Alex Jones.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were leaving last year and will be replaced by Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe, and Josh Widdicombe.
Casting the Big Brother host to present the new series was hailed by James as an “amazing” decision, but wasn’t sure what to make of her new co-stars and would have “preferred” another big name from the TV world.
But he said: “I would have preferred someone like Bradley Walsh or Vernon Kay, or someone like that, because they’re tried and tested. But at the same time, sometimes you got to take risks, and I’m not going to say it’s not good, because I haven’t seen it until I see it.”
Later this year, James and Ian will be teaming up with fellow former Strictly pros Brendan Cole, Pasha Kovalev and Vincent Simone for the dance show Vegas: After Hours.
The show will see them bringing the spirit of Sin City to life with routines set to a soundtrack inspired by Las Vegas performers. James said following their previous Legends Of The Dance Floor in 2024 and The Return Of The Legends last year, they were approached to do another show with the “old geriatrics from Strictly”.
Ian then joked that although they had asked producers to be sent to Vegas for “research purposes”, money was “too tight”. He said: “They said they couldn’t afford James’s casino bills and Vincent’s drinks bill.”
James then said: “These guys are amazing and inspire me every single day that I watch them on stage. They’re all so different and so brilliant at what they do, but I think what separates our tour from any other Strictly tour is the realism in between with the chat, the camaraderie between us, and the fact that we take the mickey out of each other. If we were still working for the BBC, we wouldn’t be able to say some of these things… but it’s all very real and honest and funny.”
The 30-date tour starts in Fareham on October 3 and wraps up in Cardiff on November 8. Tickets are on sale now, available from the venues, Ticketmaster and on The Legends in Vegas: After Hours | Concert Tour.
Bradley Walsh is put in his place in the upcoming episode of Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad
Bradley Walsh is hilariously told ‘do you know what you’re doing’ by an ITV show guest this Friday(Image: ITV)
Bradley Walsh is hilariously told ‘do you know what you’re doing’ by an ITV show guest this Friday.
Bradley, 65, and Barney, 28, are back on the road once in their hit series Breaking Dad as they head down under for a spectacular Australian adventure in the seventh season of their beloved ITV programme.
In this week’s episode, the boys’ Australian adventure continues and they are in the outback, where they meet a group of local farmers and help them muster their cattle.
The pair then make a pit stop at a local bar, where they end up taking part in a pub quiz. The next day it’s competition time as father and son go head to head in a race on lawnmowers.
Bradley and Barney’s trip then takes them back towards the coast and the beautiful Whitsundays, where a trip on a superyacht awaits them. However, in true show style, the boys won’t be doing any relaxing as they’re expected to work onboard.
In an exclusive first look clip of this Friday’s episode, it shows the moment the boys are thrown into a Below Deck style cocktail making challenge, where they have to make beverages for the superyacht’s passengers.
Bradley is tasked with making a margarita while Barney is asked to make a piña colada. However, Bradley’s cocktail making attempts don’t exactly go to plan as he pours Cointreau directly into the glass as opposed to the cocktail shaker. Noticing his blunder, he quips: “I should have done it in this but don’t worry!”
However, the superyacht’s guests are left apprehensive as one of the passengers squeals: “Does he know what he’s doing?” before another guest offers instructions, saying: “Do you need to put the Cointreau in there to shake it?”
To which Bradley insists: “I don’t really because it’s best if you have the Cointreau sitting at the bottom of the glass. That’s the way the pros do it!”
After mixing his drink, Bradley does a taste test as he exclaims: “Wow! I tell you what, you can run this boat on that!”
Meanwhile, Barney serves up the perfect piña colada to which a superyacht guest praises: “Oh my goodness Barney, you are amazing!”
Wanting feedback, Bradley asks: “Out of ten, would you say the piña colada?” to which the guest exclaims: “I give it 12 out of 10!”
A deflated Bradley then asks: “And the margarita?” with the other passengers admitting: “Three!” to which Barney jokes: “Unlucky!”
However, despite losing the cocktail making competition, Bradley soon gets stuck in as he grabs a piña colada to try himself and says: “Cheers to you all!”
The passengers who had the margaritas then put the drink back down on the bar with Barney joking: “Yeah, you best stay clear of that if I was you!”
Breaking Dad airs on Fridays at 7:30PM on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player
