The Chase host Bradley Walsh briefly halted the quiz show to deliver a surprise on-air announcement, marking a significant milestone for one of its biggest stars.
In a recent episode of The Chase UK, contestants Nykia, Eilidh, Adam and Dave were hoping to outsmart one of the show’s world-best quizzers.
Dave opened the game with an impressive £5,000 (NZ$11,600) in the cash builder before facing Mark ‘The Beast; Labbett in the head-to-head.
Watch The Chase UK daily at 5pm on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+
But before the round could begin, Walsh stopped proceedings.
“We’ve got a special announcement to make,” he told viewers, revealing the programme had now filmed almost 2300 episodes – and that this marked Labbett’s 500th appearance as The Beast.
The studio applauded the long-serving Chaser, and fans jumped online to offer their congratulations.
“Congrats to The Beast himself,” one viewer wrote. Another added: “500 episodes for The Beast!”
Labbett, who spent two decades as a supply teacher specialising in maths and PE, first developed a passion for quizzing while working at a holiday camp.
He later appeared on shows Mastermind, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and University Challenge before joining The Chase in 2009 as one of its original Chasers.
He now features on Beat the Chasers and on the US and Australian versions of the hit format, and in 2022 released a book titled Can You Beat The Beast?
The Chase has remained one of the most popular shows on kiwi television, with two out of three Kiwis watching it in 2024.
Watch the Chase New Zealand, Mondays, 7.30pm on TVNZ 1, and streaming on TVNZ+.
