ITV The Chase's fans 'heartbroken' as Shaun Wallace makes emotional admission

The Chase viewers were left utterly heartbroken after a particularly skilled contestant was knocked out in this evening's episode. Shaun Wallace, aka 'The Dark Destroyer', reluctantly admitted that the first player might just be "the best player ever" as he defeated him, sending him back empty-handed.

This episode of The Chase introduced Bradley Walsh with a fresh set of contenders - Tom from Liverpool, Jessica from Lincoln, Felix from Ilfracombe, and Linda from Lowestoft - collectively squaring off against the Chaser to amass money for the ultimate showdown.

Off to a roaring start, Tom impressed everyone by acing the cash builder round, racking up a significant £10,000, reports the Express.. As the offers rolled in, Shaun advised against taking the lower end of £3,000 and tempted Tom with an enormous £60,000 by saying: "Tom, you're probably one of the best players I've ever played against in my 14 years of The Chase. Try this for size."

After a brief discussion with his team, Tom bravely chose the higher stake. Alas, he didn't make it through the ensuing round, finding himself caught out with just one question remaining.

Not without admiration, Shaun commended him: "That was a superb effort. I'm telling you, I think you are the best player I've ever met."

Though clearly disappointed, Tom took the loss gracefully, acknowledging Shaun’s high compliment and stating, "I'll take that as a huge compliment, thank you. You've got to go for it, haven't you."

He left the stage with the stoic conclusion: "No regrets."

Viewers were left heartbroken by the result. One fan took to Twitter, expressing their disappointment: "Heartbreak! ! Unlucky. That's depressing for a Monday. Dang it #thechase."

Another chimed in: "I am so disappointed. I wanted Tom to go through and everyone else to go low so that Twitter would explode into a fit of rage. #TheChase."

A third viewer commented: "So unfair! They definitely got the questions out of the hard box for Tom! ! Clever lad. #thechase."

Another added: "@TheShaunWallace did himself a huge favour knocking out Tom #thechase. Tough break for the team."

A fifth viewer said: "Unlucky Tom, deserved to get through especially when you see people scrape through with little or no knowledge #TheChase."