The Chase star Mark Labbett, also known as The Beast, was a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire over a decade ago and the quizzer was left completely stumped by one question
Mark Labbett, known to many as The Beast on The Chase, had his own brush with quiz show fame before he became a household name. Over ten years ago, the quizzing giant took a seat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, aiming for a hefty cash prize.
On the show, Mark breezed through the initial questions but hit a snag at the £2,000 mark with a knitting query, prompting him to use his first lifeline. He also reached out to a friend via phone during the game. But it was the £64,000 question that truly stumped him.
Host Chris Tarrant presented the question: “The best-selling novel Miss Smilla’s Feeling For Snow is set chiefly in which country?” Faced with options including Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, and Nepal, Mark was visibly puzzled, reports Devon Live.
He commented: “I have a phone a friend who would know this answer, such a shame I’d already used it.” With just one lifeline remaining, Mark opted for the 50:50, narrowing his choices down to Canada and Denmark, despite admitting unfamiliarity with the book.
Chris Tarrant chimed in with some encouragement, adding: “You’ve got £32,000. You can’t lose on this, you might as well play. You know that one of them is worth £64,000.”
After a prolonged silence, he finally said: “The construction of the name, I don’t think it’s Danish. They tend to be ending in ‘suns’ although it could be irrelevant with literature. Again, Denmark can be a cold country but Canada is far better known for it.”
Eventually, Mark opted for Canada as his final answer. Chris noted how abruptly he made his decision, to which Mark responded: “There’s nothing I can do about it, I don’t have a clue. So pick one and go with it.”
However, the game show host revealed that he had chosen incorrectly, with the right answer being Denmark. Chris apologised, complimenting Mark on being a ‘nice bloke’.
Despite this setback, The Chase star didn’t seem too bothered, as he was still walking away with a hefty £32,000. Mark commented: “It’s alright, I could’ve sat there all night and I wouldn’t have known the answer so it was just a guess.”
Elsewhere during the show, Mark told the host he was a schoolteacher and revealed some of the nicknames the students gave him. He confessed: “King Kong is the latest one. Hulk, Godzilla – basically every time there’s a monster flick, suddenly, for some reason, that’s what my name becomes. I’m not even the tallest in my family – my little brother Phil is 6ft 8!”
When asked if he would continue teaching if he won the million-pound jackpot, he quickly confirmed he’d quit.
Although he didn’t win the jackpot, Mark left his teaching career and is now a popular figure on ITV’s The Chase.
The Chase continues weekdays on ITV from 5pm