The Chase repeats return on ITV after two weeks of new episodes

ITV has reverted to repeats of The Chase on weekdays after showing just two weeks of new episodes, despite fresh instalments originally being scheduled to continue. The repeats began on Monday 21 September 2026, with viewer frustration over the growing number of reruns becoming the main issue surrounding the channel's teatime quiz.

Long-running Chaser Mark Labbett has addressed the situation publicly, saying repeats are “becoming the norm” because ITV is “not making a lot of anything right now” as a result of budget cuts. Host Bradley Walsh has also spoken amid reports that the programme had been “halted”, pointing instead to a filming break.

• Schedule change: ITV returned to weekday repeats from Monday 21 September 2026.
• New episodes: The switch came after only two weeks of fresh episodes.
• Mark Labbett's explanation: He linked the growing use of repeats to ITV budget cuts.
• Bradley Walsh's update: The host pointed to a filming break amid reports that the programme had been “halted”.
• Spin-off delay: Series eight of Beat The Chasers now looks likely to air in early 2027.

Why The Chase is back to repeats on ITV

The latest schedule change means viewers tuning in to ITV's weekday teatime quiz are again being shown previously broadcast episodes rather than a continuing run of new ones. The repeats started on Monday, after just two weeks in which fresh episodes had been shown.

The change has attracted particular attention because new episodes had originally been scheduled to continue. The Independent and The Sun reported on the return to repeats as frustration grew among viewers who had expected the new run to carry on.

The Chase is built around contestants taking on a professional quizzer, known on the programme as a Chaser. Its regular weekday presence means a move from new episodes back to reruns is immediately visible to viewers following the programme's daily schedule.

The increased use of repeats has therefore become the central story around the show rather than any change to its basic format. Fans have commented publicly on the situation, while members of the cast have also responded to questions about why fresh episodes are not continuing as expected.

What Mark Labbett said about The Chase repeats

Mark Labbett, one of the programme's long-running Chasers, gave the clearest explanation from within the cast for why repeats have become more common. He said they are “becoming the norm” because ITV is “not making a lot of anything right now”, linking the situation directly to budget cuts.

His comments place the scheduling of The Chase within a broader reduction in production rather than suggesting that repeats are limited to one isolated week. TV Zone UK was among the outlets reporting developments around the ITV schedule, while fan frustration has continued as the number of repeated episodes has increased.

Labbett's intervention is significant because it comes from one of the show's established on-screen figures and directly addresses the concern viewers have been raising. Rather than announcing a date for a sustained return of new weekday episodes, his comments explain why reruns are now appearing more frequently.

The change also arrives alongside a delay affecting Beat The Chasers, the primetime spin-off of The Chase, adding to the sense that ITV's plans for the wider franchise have shifted.

Bradley Walsh responds to reports The Chase was halted

Host Bradley Walsh has also addressed reports that The Chase had been “halted”. His update pointed to a filming break, offering a different piece of context to the discussion around the programme's production and broadcast schedule.

The distinction matters because the current concern from viewers is focused on what ITV is broadcasting each weekday. The channel has moved back to repeats, but Walsh's comments relate to the filming break behind the scenes rather than presenting the situation simply as the programme coming to an end.

Hello Magazine reported on Walsh's update as speculation around the show's status circulated. His comments sit alongside Labbett's explanation about budget pressures, with both cast members addressing different aspects of the same period of uncertainty for viewers.

For audiences, however, the immediate change is straightforward: the expected continuation of new episodes has not happened, and repeated editions are once again filling the weekday slot.

The Chase and Beat The Chasers schedule changes

Programme	Latest position
The Chase	Returned to weekday repeats from Monday 21 September 2026 after two weeks of new episodes.
The Chase filming	Bradley Walsh pointed to a filming break amid reports that the show had been “halted”.
Beat The Chasers series eight	The air date has been pushed back by ITV.
Beat The Chasers timing	The eighth series now looks likely to air in early 2027 rather than during 2026 as originally confirmed.

The change to Beat The Chasers means ITV's scheduling adjustments are affecting both the weekday programme and its primetime spin-off. Series eight had originally been confirmed for 2026, but it now looks likely to arrive in early 2027.

That delay gives viewers another reason to focus on ITV's handling of the franchise. While the weekday programme has switched back to repeats sooner than expected, the next series of the primetime version has also moved beyond its originally confirmed window.

What happens next for The Chase on ITV

The immediate weekday schedule is now centred on repeats, after the new episodes ended following a run of only two weeks. The comments from Labbett indicate that budget cuts are influencing how much new programming ITV is making, while Walsh has pointed to a filming break in response to reports about production being halted.

The next major development already identified for the wider franchise concerns Beat The Chasers. Its eighth series is now expected in early 2027 rather than in 2026 as previously confirmed.

For viewers of The Chase, attention will remain on when fresh weekday episodes resume after the latest return to reruns. The current change has already prompted public frustration from fans and responses from members of the cast, making the balance between new programmes and repeats the key issue around ITV's teatime quiz.

Frequently asked questions

Why is The Chase showing repeats again?

ITV returned <em>The Chase</em> to weekday repeats from Monday 21 September 2026 after only two weeks of new episodes. Mark Labbett said repeats are “becoming the norm” because ITV is “not making a lot of anything right now”, linking the increased use of reruns to budget cuts.

Has The Chase been halted by ITV?

Bradley Walsh addressed reports that <em>The Chase</em> had been “halted” by pointing to a filming break. The current broadcast change is that ITV has reverted to weekday repeats after two weeks of new episodes, despite fresh editions originally being scheduled to continue.

What has Mark Labbett said about The Chase repeats?

Mark Labbett, one of the show's long-running Chasers, said repeats are “becoming the norm”. He explained that ITV is “not making a lot of anything right now” because of budget cuts, as viewers continued to express frustration about the increased number of repeated episodes.

When will Beat The Chasers series eight air?

ITV has pushed back the air date for the eighth series of <em>Beat The Chasers</em>, the primetime spin-off of <em>The Chase</em>. The series now looks likely to air in early 2027 rather than during 2026, which had originally been confirmed.