The Chase viewers switch off minutes into ITV show as they blast 'What's going on!'

The Chase erupted into chaos online on Friday as viewers raged over what they called yet another "pointless" episode - with some even threatening to switch off completely. Bradley Walsh welcomed contestants Lauren, Michael, Carol and Eddie to face Mark "The Beast" Labbett, but chaos began almost immediately when Eddie stunned the studio by choosing the £2,000 low offer despite earning £8,000 in his cash builder. And things only got worse when Lauren scored £2,000 but then opted for the minus offer of -£7,000.

Fans were furious and took to social media to vent. One viewer wrote: "It's getting to the point where it's hardly worth watching anymore. I'd rather watch a real game show with some excitement not people playing for tiny amounts of money. I'm off!" Another fumed: "Time to retire this show and focus on Beat The Chasers where people want to win real big money on their own merits."

A third raged: "What on earth is going on here? With an £8K Cashbuilder, Seat 1 decides to go for the £2K Low Offer! This is absolutely ridiculous! Why does this keep happening? These Low Offers need to be scrapped immediately or ITV will lose viewers!"

But the episode later took a surprising turn when Michael, a blind contestant, won over viewers with a bold display of nerve and skill.

After scoring £5,000 in his cash builder, he ignored the cautious tactics seen earlier and stunned the studio by taking on a huge £55,000 - and he won it.

Viewers praised him for showing the others how to play the game, with many slamming Lauren further for taking £7k off his winnings.

Despite the rocky start, all four players made it back for a rare full house in the Final Chase, building a strong total of 18 correct answers and playing for £56,000 against The Beast.

Mark was on top form in the Final Chase and showed exactly why he is one of the show's most feared Chasers. Despite Mark offering them four pushbacks, they failed to capitalise on any of them, missing crucial chances to build momentum.

With the clock ticking down, The Beast stayed icy calm and caught the team with just six seconds remaining, ending their £56,000 dream at the last moment.

Viewers had a lot to say about the team performance - and one contestant in particular came under heavy fire.

One furious fan wrote: "Love how they told Lauren to take the low offer because of her invaluable experience as a younger contestant, and her precise contribution in the final chase was: 0 answers, 0 pushback contributions, 5 passes."

Another viewer didn't hold back either, adding: "Woot! Nice one Beast! Only Michael deserved the money. Maybe Eddie also. They should've at least got 20, Lauren didn't contribute whatsoever, and their attempts to push back were rubbish."