Sunderland contestant brings home £25k after beating The Beast in The Chase

Marge Smith, a retired Sunderland University administrator, appeared on tonight’s episode of hit show The Chase where she and her team went up against Mark “The Beast” Labbett.

She earned £2,000 in the cash builder but went for the higher offer of £63,000 and beat The Chaser, which took their total winnings up to £75,000.

We caught up with Marge after the show:

Q:How long have you wanted to be a The Chase contestant?

“Not that long really, I entered on impulse!”

Q: How did it feel being in the studio compared to watching at home?

“Quite daunting, but it was exciting to see how everything worked.”

Q: Did you want to play against Mark?

“Yes, I do like Mark, so that was a bonus!”

Q: Did you know in advance what offer you’d take/ did it change on the day?

“I always fancied having a go at the higher offer but wasn't sure if I'd have the courage to go for it on the day. I also think I went for it because I'd not done well in the cash builder. Anyway, I'm so glad I did!”

Q: Did you ever dare to imagine you’d be in the final Chase?

“No, especially after losing our first team member.”

Q: What was it like taking part in the final Chase?

“Very exciting, but it was all just a blur!”

Q: Did you think you had a chance of winning?

“I thought with 17 [correct answers] we might be in with a chance, but really didn't expect to beat Mark if I'm honest.”

Q: What did it feel like to hear Bradley say you’d beaten the chaser?

“It seemed unreal at that moment. I remember saying to my teammates, 'Did that just happen?' as we celebrated.”

Q: How are you going to spend the money? Did you change your mind about how you’d spend the money after the show?

“When my sensible head returned I decided not to splash out on a car. I bought Premium Bonds instead for myself and family. How boring!”

::The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV