Bradley Walsh has confirmed that ITV's The Chase is going on a break for 'just over a year', offering him the opportunity to return to acting. The 66-year-old presenter, who recently starred as 'Pop' Larkin in the ITV comedy-drama The Larkins, expressed his eagerness to work on 'another drama' during the hiatus.
Filming Hiatus for The Chase
Speaking to The Sun's TV Mag, Walsh explained that the show has been stockpiling episodes to allow for the extended break. 'We've been stockpiling. So we're going to take a rest for just over a year or something, which everyone is sort of thrilled about because they can go away and do other stuff. I haven't been able to do a drama in ages, so I now get the opportunity to go back and do another drama,' he said.
New Sky History Series
Walsh is also preparing to host a new series for Sky History, titled Out of This World, which he describes as blending 'scientific exploration with curiosity and humour as he investigates the greatest mysteries on Earth'. The show will examine unexplained phenomena such as crop circles and will feature access to official military files from the UK and the US documenting potential extraterrestrial encounters.
Return to The Chase
Despite his enthusiasm for diversifying, Walsh emphasized his delight at returning to The Chase in due course. 'It's funny how the show gets into people's psyche – familiarity doesn't breed contempt, sometimes it just breeds happiness,' he said. He praised the team, calling them 'the best I've ever worked with, bar none' and noted that many production staff have celebrated milestones during the show's run, including 20 children born to crew members.
Spin-off: The Chase Around The World
While the main show takes a break, a spin-off series titled The Chase Around The World will launch on ITV on Thursday, 16 July. The programme will feature six pairs of competitors travelling to cities including Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Rome and Zurich, culminating in Athens. Participants will solve puzzles along the way, with the winning duo facing the Chasers for a £100,000 jackpot.
