The Chase Australia

The Chase Australia

Company type	Television quiz show
Industry	Television entertainment
Founded	September 14, 2015 (2015-09-14)
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Andrew O'Keefe (host until July 2021), Larry Emdur (host since July 2021)
Products	Television quiz show

The Chase Australia is an Australian quiz show adapted from the original British format. It broadcasts on the Seven Network, having debuted on 14 September 2015. The format features four participants competing against a single "chaser" who attempts to prevent them from securing the prize money. Initially, Andrew O'Keefe served as host until July 2021, when Larry Emdur assumed hosting duties.

The initial lineup of chasers included Brydon Coverdale, Anne Hegerty, Matt Parkinson, and Issa Schultz. In 2016, Mark Labbett was added to the team. Guest appearances by Shaun Wallace occurred in 2018, while Cheryl Toh became a permanent chaser in 2019. Later additions were Mara Lejins in 2022 and David Poltorak in 2024, with Brandon Blackwell guesting during 2024.

The franchise has grown to feature a prime-time celebrity version as well as a spin-off series titled Beat The Chasers.

History

Around mid-2014, the Seven Network explored producing an Australian edition of The Chase after observing strong viewer numbers for the UK version, which had been airing since August 2013. A pilot episode was recorded on the British set; however, the project was initially put on hold.

Renewed interest emerged in May 2015, and by July that year, Seven commissioned the series to replace Deal or No Deal and Million Dollar Minute in the 5:00 pm timeslot. The goal was to enhance audience figures leading into its underperforming 6:00 pm news broadcast.

Starting June 2020, production implemented COVID-19 safety protocols including social distancing on set. By August 2020, due to pandemic restrictions in Victoria, filming shifted from Melbourne to Sydney, commencing with the spin-off Beat The Chasers.

On 2 February 2021, Seven announced it would not renew Andrew O'Keefe's hosting contract following domestic violence allegations. On 22 February, Larry Emdur was confirmed as his successor, with production continuing in Sydney. O'Keefe's final episode aired on 20 July 2021, and episodes featuring Emdur began broadcasting from 26 July 2021.

Cash Builder and Head-to-Head rounds

Each contestant competes individually during the initial two rounds. In the "Cash Builder," players have sixty seconds to answer questions correctly, earning $2,000 for each accurate response. Following this, they engage in a head-to-head challenge against the chaser on a seven-step gameboard to transfer their earnings into the collective prize pool.

Contestants select their starting position strategically: they can take a three-step lead corresponding to their Cash Builder winnings; opt for a position one step closer to the chaser for a reduced offer; or move one step further away for an increased offer. Reduced offers may sometimes be zero or even negative amounts.

During these rounds, both contestant and chaser respond independently to multiple-choice questions posed by the host. Each correct answer advances a player one step down the board; incorrect answers or failure to lock in an answer leave their position unchanged. If a contestant reaches home base without being caught by the chaser, their money contributes to the team’s bank. Conversely, if caught, they are eliminated and their accumulated funds are forfeited.

Should all four contestants be caught during their head-to-head rounds, the team selects one player to participate in a "Lazarus" round during the Final Chase for a monetary offer.

Final Chase round

Remaining participants work together to evade the chaser’s pursuit. During a pause, they choose between two question sets and have two minutes to respond to buzzer questions, earning one step forward for each correct response along with an initial head start of one step per team member. Only the contestant who buzzes in may answer; team discussion is prohibited. The chaser remains present on stage.

Next, the chaser takes two minutes with the question set not used by the team, moving forward one step for each correct answer. When the chaser passes or misses a question, the clock stops to allow the team to consult; correct answers by the team either push the chaser backward or advance the team if they are at the starting point. If the chaser manages to catch the team within the allotted time, the prize fund is forfeited; otherwise, it is divided equally among the contestants.

Half-hour episodes

Occasionally, half-hour editions have been broadcast due to Seven’s scheduling commitments with sporting events like the Spring Racing Carnival and 2020 Summer Olympics. These shorter episodes feature two contestants instead of four. Each participant completes a cash builder round, with the higher scorer carrying both totals into a head-to-head round. If scores are tied, the contestants decide who proceeds. Victory in this head-to-head leads to the Final Chase as usual; if caught, one team member is selected to play for a designated amount in the Final Chase.

Double Trouble format

Introduced in 2024, the Double Trouble format involves contestants facing two alternating chasers during head-to-head rounds. For the Final Chase, remaining players choose which chaser from this pair they will compete against.

Mega Money Spinner

Also launched in 2024, the Mega Money Spinner format offers additional cash prizes during the Final Chase: reaching 10 steps grants a spin for up to $50,000; reaching 15 steps allows spinning for up to $100,000. Any winnings from these spins are added on top of their accumulated prize money.

Special editions

Shortened special episodes have been aired during programs such as Saturday Night Footy, Sunrise, Fifi, Dave & Fev, and The Morning Show. Early in 2017, four specials featured teams from My Kitchen Rules competing on behalf of a home viewer.

Celebrity specials

Between August and September 2019, Seven broadcast The Chase Celebrity Specials Australia (also known as The Celebrity Chase), where celebrity teams competed for charitable causes. The structure closely follows that of the standard show but includes consolation prizes if celebrities fail to reach or are caught during the Final Chase. This series was filmed before a live studio audience.

In February 2022, a celebrity edition aired in its usual timeslot to promote Dancing with the Stars. This episode was produced without a studio audience, consistent with regular episodes.

Chasers

Chaser	Nickname	Tenure	Details
Brydon Coverdale	"The Shark"	2015–present	Has appeared on numerous Australian quiz shows, securing $307,000 on Million Dollar Minute in 2014 and $38,788 on Pass the Buck in 2002. Also featured on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and other quiz formats. Ranked 289th in World Quizzing Championships 2019.
Anne Hegerty	"The Governess"	2015–present	Known for British quiz appearances including Mastermind, Fifteen to One, and Brain of Britain; holds Grand Master status in UK quiz rankings. Ranked 40th in World Quizzing Championships 2014. Recognized from original UK version of The Chase (British game show).
Matt Parkinson	"Goliath"	2015–present	Former champion on Sale of the Century and frequent member of "brains trust" panel on The Einstein Factor.
Issa Schultz	"The Supernerd"	2015–present	Eleven-time Australian Quiz Champion from 2011 through 2024 and seven-time pairs champion; ranked 23rd worldwide in 2020. Won $200,000 on The Rich List in 2009. Guest chaser on UK version of The Chase (British game show) in 2022.
Mark Labbett	"The Beast"	2016–2020, 2022–present	Competed on British quiz shows such as Mastermind, University Challenge, and won £48,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Represented Wales at European quiz championships. Famous from UK and US versions of The Chase. Returned to Australian edition in 2022 after ABC did not renew his contract for US series.
Shaun Wallace	"The Destroyer"	2018 (Guest, Season 5)	Winner of Mastermind and finalist on Are You an Egghead?. Known from original UK version of The Chase. Guest chaser during Australian Season 5.
Cheryl Toh	"The Tiger Mum"	2019–present (Guest Seasons 7–9; Regular Seasons 10–present)	Competed on Australian quiz programs such as Temptation, The Einstein Factor, and Million Dollar Minute.
Mara Lejins	"The Smiling Assassin"	2022–present (Guest Seasons 11–12; Regular Seasons 12–present)	Former contestant who won $60,000 on Beat The Chasers Australia in 2020.
Brandon Blackwell	"The Lightning Bolt"	2024 (Guest Season 13)	Has competed on US shows including Jeopardy!, American Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and British University Challenge. Serving as chaser on US version since 2022.
David Poltorak	"The Professor"	2024–present (Guest Season 13; Regular Seasons 13–present)	Record-holding contestant and question writer for multiple Australian quiz shows. Appeared on Beat The Chasers Australia in 2020.

Notes

• Template:Note Hegerty and Labbett encountered visa complications due to COVID-19 border restrictions impacting travel between Britain and Australia in March 2020.
• Template:Note Hegerty resumed filming in Australia by May 2021; episodes began airing July 28, 2021.
• Template:Note Labbett briefly appeared in Season 10 promotional material but was not listed as a chaser; he joined ABC’s US version in May 2021 before returning for Season 11 of the Australian edition.

Audience ratings

Since its launch in September 2015, The Chase Australia has consistently achieved strong ratings performance, frequently outperforming Nine Network’s Millionaire Hot Seat and Network Ten’s 10 News First within its key weekday timeslot from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. The debut episode drew an audience of approximately 520,000 viewers during its first half-hour and increased to around 720,000 viewers in its second half-hour segment, surpassing viewership for Millionaire Hot Seat. This success contributed significantly toward Seven’s news program reclaiming its position as Australia’s most-watched news service; however, as of September 2017 it remained behind Nine News along Australia’s eastern seaboard while maintaining strong leads in Adelaide and Perth.

In response to sustained strong ratings by The Chase Australia throughout 2016, Nine extended its own show ‘‘Millionaire Hot Seat’’ to one hour beginning in 2017—matching ‘‘The Chase’’’s duration. Despite this change, ‘‘The Chase Australia’’ maintained an average lead of roughly 100,000 viewers until ‘‘Millionaire Hot Seat’’ was cancelled in November 2023. From January 2024 onward, ‘‘The Chase Australia’’ competes with Nine’s ‘‘Tipping Point Australia’’, produced by Banijay’s Endemol Shine Australia.

Beat The Chasers

Main article: Beat the Chasers

Announced in August 2020, an Australian adaptation of ‘‘Beat The Chasers’’ features local chasers Brydon Coverdale, Issa Schultz, Matt Parkinson, and Cheryl Toh competing against contestants vying for substantial cash prizes. The series premiered on November 1, 2020 and aired Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m. over five weeks.

A single player participates initially in a Cash Builder round consisting of multiple-choice questions worth $1,000 each with a maximum of five correct answers possible. An incorrect response on the first question results in immediate elimination without winnings. Contestants then select how many chasers—ranging from two up to four—they wish to face during a timed head-to-head round where each chaser sets their own time limit up to sixty seconds and offers larger cash sums as incentives for facing more opponents. The contestant's clock starts at sixty seconds; only one clock runs at any time and control switches between contestant and chasers upon correct answers. If the contestant's clock expires before that of the chasers’, they win their offered money.

Unlike its UK counterpart, this Australian version employs a tournament format where seven highest-earning contestants from initial four episodes return for a final showdown episode five. Key modifications include:

• Cash Builder questions valued at $5,000 each.
• Missing first question results only in loss of preliminary winnings without further play.
• Contestants may wager part of previous winnings to augment their Cash Builder total.
• Contestants face all four chasers simultaneously and choose among three money/time offers.
• Losing forfeits only risked portion of prior winnings.

On April 12, 2021 Seven commissioned a second season with Larry Emdur returning as host and entered negotiations to add Anne Hegerty as part of the Australian chaser lineup.

Broadcast history

Notes

The Chase Australia is broadcast at 5:00 pm weeknights across most regions except Regional and Remote Western Australia where it airs at 4:30 pm due to local news scheduling adjustments. Until July 2021 episodes were generally repeated weekly with occasional exceptions including prime-time airings or special broadcasts linked with other network programming.

International broadcasts

In New Zealand, episodes originally aired weekly on TVNZ 1, now shown on TVNZ Duke. Beginning March 14 , 2016 , broadcasts started airing on UK channel Challenge TV, which is also available across Ireland; however this run concluded by April 2022.

Merchandise

A localized mobile game adapted from Barnstorm Games’ iOS and Android titles was released featuring five chasers—excluding Cheryl 'Tiger Mum' Toh who had not yet appeared at release—and supports up to four players simultaneously. Unlike the television format, this app offers three answer options per question during Cash Builder and Final Chase rounds rather than four choices; also if all players are caught no Final Chase round occurs.

On July 13 , 2023 , Barnstorm Games launched an updated app titled ‘’The Chase: World Tour’’, incorporating Australian chasers including Toh and Lejins alongside British and American counterparts.

On February 8 , 2016 , Crown and Andrews released an official board game featuring Issa Schultz, Brydon Coverdale, and Matt Parkinson as chasers. A new edition was issued by Imagination Games in 2019.