My Day on ITV’s The Chase
Posted on November 18, 2025 in News
Some time during lockdown, when we were all stuck indoors dreaming up slightly wild ideas, I decided to apply to be on ITV’s quiz show The Chase. My thinking at the time was something like: why not try to win a bit of money to help with the mortgage? In hindsight, I probably should have remembered it’s one of the hardest quiz shows on TV… but never mind!
I’d honestly forgotten all about it when, a couple of years later, my phone rang. It was the production team. Before I knew it, I was answering two rounds of quick-fire general knowledge questions and being invited to an online audition.
The audition was a group session with six of us, all hoping to make the cut. We’d been told to bring A, B and C buttons, and of course the graphic designer in me couldn’t resist creating mine in proper Chase style. They went down very well. The session lasted about an hour and involved all sorts of fun individual and team tasks. As they reminded us many times: “We only have interesting people on the show!” No pressure, then!
After passing the audition, there was yet another form to fill in. They wanted to know everything! What I do, what I enjoy, who I’d like to face, and what I’d do with any winnings. The whole process is incredibly thorough, which was oddly reassuring. It felt real.
Months passed. Filming dates came and went. Eventually I assumed they’d forgotten about me, but then the lovely Katie from the contestant team called. Because of my access needs, they arranged a fixed filming date so I’d have time to prepare. That kindness meant a lot.
Knowing the date in advance was helpful… although it did give me plenty of time to imagine every possible scenario! We also arranged a visit to the studio so I could check the accessibility and make sure I could reach the famous buttons. Seeing the set in real life was surreal, but trying the buttons ahead of time gave all of us peace of mind. I did notice that the table buttons had Post-it notes stuck on with A, B and C scribbled on in Sharpie, so I quietly decided I’d do something about that later.
A week before filming, Katie rang again with forty more quick-fire questions. Just to keep me on my toes!
The Big Day - Tuesday 7th May 2024
Dad very kindly came along to help my PA Karolina, and between the three of us we loaded the car with my hoist, equipment and five possible outfits. It felt like we were packing for a weekend away rather than a TV show.
We arrived at 11:30am for the third filming slot of the day (thank goodness it wasn’t the 7am one). Despite all the planning, we still got held at security and had to wait for a runner to fetch us. Luckily, the runner was a very handsome man with a dreamy accent, so no complaints there.
Katie met us outside, and I handed her the special buttons I’d made for the studio. Then she whisked me off to the green room to meet the team: Vik, Dylan and Danni. All lovely people - and all much younger than me!
There was barely time to chat before we were swept into briefings, wardrobe checks, and make-up. Everything ran like clockwork. My dressing room was huge, with space for my hoist, so Dad and Karolina got everything set up while I was being polished in make-up.
Then it was time to head to the studio. Gulp.
The floor team absolutely loved the buttons I’d designed. They all gathered around and stuck them onto the table straight away, which was such a joyful moment. If nothing else, at least I’d made my mark on The Chase!
Lights, Camera… Panic
I was in seat four, which gave me time to see how everyone else played before it was my turn. Poor Vik went first and faced Anne Hegerty - the Governess. She’s one of the toughest Chasers, so we weren’t feeling hopeful. Vik scraped through with £2,000. Dylan sadly got caught. Danni took the lower offer and made it back by one step. And all the while I sat there feeling my hands get sweatier!
At one point the famous table broke and half the crew had to fix it, which gave us a much-needed breather. But eventually it was my turn.
Bradley Walsh (or Brad, as he prefers) chatted to me about Berkhamsted, or “Berko” as I call it, and asked about my life and interests. I’m not entirely sure what I said - it’s all a blur, but hopefully it made sense.
My cash builder brought me £4,000. Not amazing, but that minute goes faster than you’d ever expect. Then came the offers from Anne: £1,000 as a lower offer and an eye-watering £87,000 as the higher. Tempting… but with only £3,000 in the pot and questions that felt impossible, I chose the safer option. My aim was simply to make it back for the final chase. And I did - but only by one step! Frosty Knickers nearly had me.
During the break I showed Brad the buttons I’d made. He laughed and said, “Good grief, it’s only taken fifteen years!” Even if I didn’t win, I’d left my legacy on the famous Chase table!
The Final Chase
I felt calmer here because speed is more my strength. Anne even said she thought I’d be the brains of the team, which was very kind.
The adjudicator had to tell us off a few times for answering too quickly after our names were called. Apparently that’s quite normal, but Brad still blamed me every time: “It’s that Katy again!”
We tried our best but only managed 14 steps. Anne caught us easily. She’s phenomenal at what she does, and although it would have been lovely to beat her, I was proud to have made it back to the desk and played a part in the final round.
After four years of waiting, the whole thing was over in about ninety minutes. It was exciting, overwhelming, and genuinely special. The team were wonderful and so thoughtful about my access needs. Dad and Karolina watched on a monitor behind the set and said it all felt completely different from the TV version.
Air Date - Tuesday 11th November 2025
When it finally aired, I wasn’t sure if I felt excited or terrified. Most of our fun little moments ended up on the cutting-room floor, and our performance looked… well, let’s just say we won’t be remembered as the strongest team in Chase history!
But they did keep my little plug for PA Pool, which brought over 400 people to the website that evening. That made my night.