The Chase viewers spot telltale clue as ITV airs repeat episode despite ‘brand new’ introduction

Fans of The Chase were quick to realise something was familiar when Thursday evening’s episode was introduced as brand new.

For some viewers, the giveaway came before the quiz had properly got going. They spotted a difference in Bradley Walsh’s appearance and immediately suspected that ITV had put an old episode on air.

The instalment featured four contestants: Spiro from Epsom, Brittany, originally from Los Angeles, Louise from Cricklade and Tony from Carrickfergus. They faced Jenny Ryan, known on the show as The Vixen, in the Final Chase.

The episode was broadcast on ITV on Thursday, September 24, with the broadcaster’s announcer describing it as a new instalment. However, viewers familiar with the programme quickly took to social media to question the description.

Bradley Walsh’s hair gives the game away

The most obvious clue for some fans was Walsh’s hairstyle.

One viewer posted: “This ain’t new. @ITV what you are playing at? #TheChase”

Another wrote: “Not the advertised episode. This is a repeat. #thechase”

Others were even more direct, with posts simply reading: “Repeat. #thechase” and “This is a repeat #TheChase.”

One fan appeared to spot the issue almost immediately after the programme began.

“The announcer just said a brand new episode of the chase. Brad’s Barnet will be the clue. #thechase,” they wrote.

The reaction reflects the frustration among some regular viewers over the number of repeat episodes currently appearing in The Chase schedule.

There is also a scheduling detail worth noting. TV listings identify the Spiro, Brittany, Louise and Tony episode as Series 17, Episode 65, with an original air date of January 15, 2026. Listings for the September 24 broadcast also explicitly describe it as a repeat.

ITVX likewise lists the instalment among Series 17 episodes, with Bradley Walsh hosting Spiro, Brittany, Louise and Tony.

Mark Labbett has addressed the repeat complaints

The latest complaints come after Mark Labbett, who appears on The Chase as The Beast, addressed similar concerns from viewers.

In a response to a fan questioning why ITV was holding back episodes that had already been filmed, Labbett said repeats were “becoming the norm” as the broadcaster dealt with budget cuts.

He also offered a straightforward explanation for why viewers were seeing so many familiar episodes.

“If they weren’t showing repeats of The Chase, they would probably show repeats of something else,” he said.

Labbett has also indicated that there is a substantial number of recorded episodes waiting to be broadcast. That means completed editions can remain unaired while ITV decides when they will appear in the schedule.

The issue has attracted attention because viewers have reportedly seen lengthy periods of repeats followed by shorter runs of new episodes.

Recent reporting has also highlighted Labbett’s comments about the scheduling, including his reference to ITV’s financial pressures and the broadcaster’s use of repeats.

ITV’s cost-cutting plans

The scheduling complaints come as ITV continues to manage its costs.

The broadcaster’s financial results show that advertising revenue fell from £1.820 billion in 2024 to £1.723 billion in 2025, a decline of £97 million, or 5%. ITV also reported £63 million in permanent non-content cost savings during 2025 and said it expected to deliver a further £20 million in permanent non-content savings during 2026.

ITV has also said that some programming was moved into 2026 as part of its response to softer advertising demand. In its 2025 results, the company said total content spending for 2026 was expected to be around £1.225 billion, while a further £20 million of non-content savings was planned.

Those financial decisions have helped explain why viewers have been seeing more familiar programming, although the specific decision to schedule this Chase episode as a repeat has not been publicly attributed by ITV to any one measure.

Fans continue to follow the show

Despite the complaints, The Chase remains a major part of ITV’s daytime schedule.

ITV has previously described the programme as its number one daytime show since 2017, and the broadcaster continues to make episodes available through ITVX.

For viewers who missed the latest broadcast or want to revisit previous instalments, episodes of The Chase are available through ITVX, where the programme’s catalogue includes multiple series and hundreds of episodes.

For the fans watching closely, though, Thursday’s broadcast provided another reminder that sometimes the smallest detail can reveal whether an episode of The Chase is genuinely new.