A contestant who appeared on the The Chase and walked away with £13,000 (NZ$29,000) with her team has shared new details about the lengthy selection process and what filming the programme is like behind the scenes.
Savannah, 23, featured in an episode of the ITV quiz show which was first broadcast in late January, despite her episode first being recorded almost two years earlier in February 2024.
Contestants were required to keep their appearance on the show confidential until two weeks before broadcast, Savannah told The Mirror.
The Wolverhampton resident first applied to take part in the show in 2022 and didn't hear back until more than a year later, when she was contacted by a production assistant.
"I had totally forgotten about it until the end of 2023 when I received a call out of the blue from someone who said, 'Hey, I'm a production assistant for The Chase, and we were wondering if you'd still be interested,'" she said.
Savannah was asked to complete a 40-question general knowledge quiz over the phone, followed by a second round of questions several weeks later.
In January 2024, Savannah was invited to an online briefing with producers alongside 20 other prospective contestants, where producers revealed they received around 75,000 applicants for the show each year.
Savannah was invited to filming at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, around 19km north of central London. She said accommodation and meals were provided for contestants the night before recording.
She said host Bradley Walsh was "really nice" to her and other contestants and described the actual filming process as "very stop and start" compared to how it appears on TV, with production pausing between each individual question.
Savannah competed against 'The Beast' Mark Labbet, and bought back £5,000 (NZ$11,300) to her team after the cash builder round.
Her team answered 21 questions correctly during the final chase and walked away with £3,250 (NZ$7348) each.
Reflecting on her experience on The Chase, Savannah said she enjoyed her time on the show and that the cast and crew were supportive and friendly.
"The wardrobe people are kind, the hair and makeup [people], all the casting assistants, production assistants, and producers. Everyone is really friendly," she said.
"If you're debating about whether to apply for a game show or a quiz show, the chances are people are going to be really nice and friendly. It will probably be a good experience."
Watch The Chase UK daily at 5pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the mosque attacker’s appeal hearing begins, and the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother continues. (Source: 1News)
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