ITV viewers were left less than impressed when a contestant took an "insulting" low off on Thursday evening's episode of The Chase.
Martin from Leeds, Dylan from Aberdare, Sonia from Merseyside and Karen from Exmouth were up against The Beast Mark Labbett tonight, banking a serious amount of cash before one played decided to bring down the team's impressive grand total.
Martin added £6,000 to the jackpot and Dylan took Mark's high offer of £55,000. He somehow managed to beat The Beast in a nail-biting final question before elimination as Mark quipped, "I should have caught him."
With £61,000 in the bank, it was Sonia's turn to take on the Chaser, banking just £3,000 in her cash builder after answering only three questions correctly. Asked if she wanted to play for her £3k or a massive £70,000, Sonia had a huge decision to make.
Dylan reassured her: "It's up to you. Really up to you. Minus five might be good tactics as well." Martin also agreed, adding: "It's about bodies back [for the team] so three or the minus five yeah." But Sonia still wasn't sure, asking host Bradley Walsh.
She said: "I always said I'd never take a minus offer you know. But there was never £61,000 in the prize fund at that point was there," Bradley didn't get much away before Sonia decided she would try for the measly minus offer, -£5,000.
The Beast told her: "I can understand your personal dilemma from the ego point of view and the moral point of view. Dylan taking the high offer has given you the freedom to take the low offer." Although the easy option didn't even work out for Sonia.
She was ultimately caught by The Beast and the team's prize pot remained the same. Fans flocked to X, formally Twitter, with one saying: "Once again a low scoring player takes from the high scorer's pot and doesn't even get through. Selfish #TheChase."
Another fumed: "The lower "minus offer" takers are spongers. #thechase". Someone else said: "Anyone who takes the minus offer is a free-loader #TheChase." While another blasted: "#TheChase Glad she went out, got no time for low offer players who steal off their team, more money now for the 3 left."
Karen attempted to bring in £89,000 after accepting The Beast's high offer, but she was caught – leaving on Martin and Dylan to try and beat the Chaser. But they were caught and without a full team, the pair went away with absolutely nothing.
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