The Chase star Mark Labbett revealed EastEnders star Shaun Williamson almost became a Chaser after getting ‘very close’ in the tests. (Image: ABC via Getty Images)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeThe Chase’s Mark Labbett, known on-screen as The Beast, has revealed that while it’s ‘extremely difficult’ to became a Chaser on the ITV show, one celebrity has come very close to making the cut. Talking exclusively with OK ! This week to mark the gameshow’s 15th anniversary, Mark admitted that EastEnders star Shaun Williamson was actually tested to be a Chaser on the show. “The celebrity version of the show is a different game show, they come on for charity and to entertain people. Unashamedly, we tailor the questions to give them a chance. There are one or two exceptions, like Sean Williamson seriously got tried out to be a chaser and he is not far away.
Sean Williamson may be known for EastEnders, but is actually a very talented quizzer
(Image: BBC)
“He was smart enough to know, ‘Look, I’m good but I’m not at their level’. But he’s a very, very good quizzer”. Sean isn’t the only celebrity contestant to have impressed the Chasers, as Mark admits that Changing Rooms’ Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and cricketer Phil Tufnell made quite the dream team. “Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen is a very good all-round quizzer but isn’t as strong with sports. I think he was paired with Phil Tufnell who, obviously, is a sport specialist, and it was a lethal pairing. But to be a Chaser, you need to have that all-round knowledge with no weak spots.” Proclaiming himself as the ‘best Chaser in the world’, Mark isn’t shy when it comes to his knowledge, but admits it isn’t without putting in the work. “I’m arrogant enough to say I’m the best chaser in the world. One or two of my colleagues look funny at me, and I sort of go, ‘Prove me wrong’. Our job is that you have to be tested all the time, I say the price of being the best is you have got to prove it.
Mark is celebrating 15 years of The Chase
(Image: PR HANDOUT)
“We do regular testing, Paul [Chaser Paul Sinha] usually always comes out first in that and I’m normally a close second. I’ve beaten him once, but the rest aren’t close behind him,” says Mark, who has an IQ of 151. Mark has been a Chaser on the show since its launch in 2009, admitting that he wasn’t sure whether it would be a hit when he first got the call. “When it first started, Sean and I did the first five episodes and we each got paid £100 a show. Sean actually lost money because he had to take time off court. And I lost some teaching money, but we both took the view, ‘What happens if this is a success? We’ll be kicking ourselves forever.’ And as he celebrates 15 years on the show, Mark admits he would be up for another decade and a half. “I’m slowing down but I’m still performing well in our tests, so, touch wood, if my brain stays intact, I can’t see why I wouldn’t do another 15 years.” “Sometime in 2027, we’ll probably get a contestant born on the day that our show began, or soon afterwards, at which point we will feel very old!”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnEastEndersThe ChaseShaun Williamson
