The Chase Australia is an Australian television quiz show based on the British program of the same name. It is broadcast on the Seven Network and premiered on 14 September 2015. Four contestants play against an opponent, known as the "chaser", who plays for the bank.. The Chase (Australia) was originally hosted by Andrew O'Keefe until July 2021, when he was replaced by Larry Emdur. The series began with Brydon Coverdale, Anne Hegerty, Matt Parkinson and Issa Schultz as chasers, with Mark Labbett joining in 2016. Shaun Wallace appeared as a guest chaser in 2018, and Cheryl Toh has appeared as a chaser since 2019. Mara Lejins joined as a chaser in 2022, and David Poltorak joined in 2024. Brandon Blackwell also appeared as a guest in 2024.
The series has also spawned a prime-time celebrity series, and a spin-off called Beat The Chasers.
The largest amount of money ever won by people on The Chase is $141,000 split between 4 people ($35,250 per player), while the lowest amount ever won was $400, won by a single player who won the full $400.
History In mid-2014 Seven Network reportedly had considered producing a local version of The Chase on the back of good ratings for the British version of the show which has been airing in the 3:00 pm timeslot since August 2013. A pilot episode on the UK set was made, but ultimately it was decided not to proceed.
However, interest in a local version was renewed in May 2015 and in July the Seven Network commissioned the show to eventually replace Deal or No Deal and Million Dollar Minute in the 5:00 pm timeslot in a bid to revive ratings for its struggling 6:00 pm nightly news.
From June 2020, social distancing measures were applied on set due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with contestants spaced apart from each other. In August 2020, Seven announced that beginning with the spin-off, Beat The Chasers, production of The Chase Australia would move from Melbourne to Sydney in September 2020 due to COVID restrictions in Victoria at the time.
On 2 February 2021, Seven announced that the network did not renew host Andrew O'Keefe's contract in December 2020 and parted company with him after he was charged with domestic violence. On 22 February 2021, Seven announced that Larry Emdur would replace O'Keefe as host of the program, with future episodes to continue to be recorded in Sydney. The final new episode with O'Keefe as host aired on 20 July 2021. Episodes with Emdur as host began airing from 26 July 2021.
Gameplay
Cash Builder and Head-to-Head rounds Each contestant plays the first two rounds alone. In the first round, the "Cash Builder", they have one minute to answer as many questions as possible, earning $2,000 per correct answer. Next, the contestant faces the day's chaser in a head-to-head contest, attempting to move the money down to the bottom of a seven-step gameboard and into the team bank ("home"). They may start three steps down from the top (giving a three-step head start and requiring five correct answers to reach home) and play for the money earned in the Cash Builder, start one step farther down for a lesser award, or start one step farther up for a greater award. The latter two awards are stated by the chaser; since 2016, lesser awards can be zero or even negative.
Once the contestant chooses a starting position, the host begins to ask a series of questions with three answer options. The contestant and chaser separately lock in their guesses on keypads; once either person locks in, the other must do so within five seconds or be locked out for that turn. A correct answer moves the person who gave it one step down the board, but a miss or lock-out leaves them in place. If the contestant reaches home without being caught, they advance to the Final Chase and their money is added to the team's prize fund (or deducted, if they chose to play for a negative amount). If the chaser catches up, the contestant is eliminated and their money is forfeited.
If all four contestants lose their head-to-head chases, the team nominate one contestant to play for them for an amount of money offered by the chaser in the Final Chase, informally dubbed a "Lazarus" round.
Final Chase round The remaining contestants now must work together to avoid being caught by the chaser. They blindly choose one of two question sets for themselves during the final commercial break, with the other set put aside for the chaser, and then have two minutes to answer as many questions as possible on the buzzer. Each correct answer moves the team ahead one step, and they are given a head start of one step per contestant participating in the round. Only the contestant who buzzes-in may answer or pass, and may not confer with their teammates; if a contestant responds without buzzing-in, the answer is automatically ruled wrong. The buzzer is not used if only one contestant is in the Final Chase. The host will only ask a new question once someone has buzzed in and either answered or passed. Unlike the original British version, the chaser remains onstage to witness the team's performance.
The chaser then has two minutes to answer questions from the unused set, moving one step ahead per correct response. If the chaser passes or misses, the clock stops and the team is given a chance to discuss it and respond. A correct answer pushes the chaser back one step, or moves the team ahead by one if the chaser is at the starting line. If the chaser catches the team before time runs out, the prize fund is lost and all four contestants leave with nothing. If the chaser fails to catch the team, the participating contestants split the prize fund equally.
Half-hour format Half-hour episodes have occasionally aired due to Seven's commitments to air various sporting events (such as the Spring Racing Carnival and the 2020 Summer Olympics). These episodes feature two contestants instead of four. Each contestant plays the cash builder round, and the contestant that earns the higher amount of money takes the combined total of the two contestants to the gameboard for the head-to-head. If both contestants earn the same amount in the cash builder, the pair chooses which contestant will play head-to-head. If the contestant makes it back to the bank, the Final Chase is played as normal. If the contestant is caught in the head-to-head, the team nominate one contestant to play for them for an amount of money offered by the chaser in the Final Chase.
Double Trouble format
In 2024, the show introduced a new Double Trouble format variation, in which contestants face off against a pair of chasers in each episode, with the chasers alternating in the head-to-head rounds. During the Final Chase, the remaining contestants then choose a chaser to compete against from the pair.
Mega Money Spinner and Final Chase Firepower Introduced in 2024, the Mega Money Spinner offers teams a chance to increase their prize pool if they score well enough in the Final Chase. A column of values is displayed on the gameboard used for the Head-to-Head Chase and put into motion to simulate a spinning slot machine reel, and one contestant presses a button to slow and stop it; the highlighted value is then added to the team's total. Earning 10-14 steps offers a maximum potential value of $50,000, while earning 15 or more gives a chance at up to $100,000.
Starting in 2025, the format was adjusted. In some episodes, a score of 13 steps or better gives the team a $100,000 spin, and failing to reach this target brings a "Final Chase Firepower" offer from the chaser to give up a portion of the money at stake in return for extra steps. Other episodes feature such an offer regardless of the team's score, but no opportunity to play the Mega Money Spinner.
Special episodes Special shows featuring shortened gameplay have featured during Saturday Night Footy, Sunrise, Fifi, Dave & Fev and The Morning Show.
In February and March 2017, four specials aired featuring two teams from the eighth season of My Kitchen Rules playing for a home viewer.
Celebrity specials A weekly prime-time version of the show began airing on Seven from 21 August to 25 September 2019, entitled The Chase Celebrity Specials Australia (informally known as The Celebrity Chase). In it, teams of celebrities compete against the chaser to win prize money for their chosen charities. The game is played in the same way as the regular version. If a celebrity does not make it to the Final Chase, or if the team is caught during the Final Chase, a consolation prize is awarded to the charities for each celebrity. Unlike the regular version, the series is filmed in front of a studio audience.
In February 2022, a celebrity episode aired in the regular 5:00 pm timeslot to promote Dancing with the Stars. This was produced without a studio audience like the regular version.
Chasers