Mark Labbett says The Chase pays him as much as 'Premier League' footballers

The Chase is easily one of the most popular shows in the country, so it makes sense that its stars are well-paid.

Mark Labbett, aka "The Beast," joked that the stars of the hit ITV quiz show earn salaries comparable to "Premier League footballers" while filming the spin-off series, "Beat the Chasers."

Unlike the original show, where contestants face off against a single Chaser, "Beat the Chasers" features all six Chasers challenging contestants with general knowledge questions. This unique format has gained its own popularity.

Mark, along with co-stars Anne Hegerty, Darragh Ennis, Shaun Wallace, Paul Sinha, and Jenny Ryan, receives a fixed fee for each episode they appear in for the spin-off series. 

Speaking about filming the spin-off series at the National Reality TV Awards, Mark said: "That's the week we earn like Premier League footballers so of course I'll do it.

"If I could get away with it I'd purge half of them because the fewer Chasers there are, the more money I get."

He continued: "We say that is because we've seen it in Australia.

"They've moved up to eight chasers and the problem is they are now in a horrible trap that they can't make a full-time living off it.

"They are spreading it so thin that some of the Chasers are starting to think 'I can't do this unless you give me a certain number of shows a year'.

"We're lucky we've got extracurricular gigs in England but in Australia they've got next to nothing so I'm glad I don't have to rely on Australian money.”

Mark also mentioned that ITV will be reducing the number of episodes of "The Chase" aired next year. Currently, the stars film three shows a day, four days a week.