ITV The Chase fans 'heartbroken' for player over 'unfair' observation as he's sent home

Viewers of The Chase were left feeling downcast as a standout contestant was sent home. Shaun Wallace, known as the Chaser, praised the first player as "the best player ever" while regrettably sending him away with nothing.

Bradley Walsh welcomed four contestants - Tom from Liverpool, Jessica from Lincoln, Felix from Ilfracombe, and Linda from Lowestoft - who joined forces to take on the Chaser in hopes of building up a prize fund for the final round.

The show started off strong with Tom from Liverpool acing the cash builder round, amassing £10,000. During the offer stage, Shaun encouraged Tom not to go for the lower £3,000 option.

Offering an enticing £60,000 high offer, Shaun said: "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 conferring with his teammates, Tom bravely opted for the higher amount. Sadly, he was caught just before reaching the final, as reported by the Express, reports the Mirror.

Shaun acknowledged his effort, commenting: "That was a superb effort. I'm telling you, I think you are the best player I've ever met."

A noble but disheartened Tom replied: "I'll take that as a huge compliment, thank you. You've got to go for it, haven't you."

He exited the stage without any winnings but no regrets. The outcome left viewers heartbroken, with one fan expressing their sorrow on Twitter: "Heartbreak! Unlucky. That's depressing for a Monday. Dang it #thechase."

One viewer expressed their frustration, saying: "I am so disappointed. I wanted Tom to go through and everyone else to go low so that Twitter/X would explode into a fit of rage. #TheChase."

Another added their thoughts: "So unfair! They definitely got the questions out of the hard box for Tom! Clever lad. #thechase."

A third chimed in with support for the contestant: "@TheShaunWallace did himself a huge favour knocking out Tom #thechase. Tough break for the team."

Finally, a sympathetic comment from another viewer: "Unlucky Tom, deserved to get through especially when you see people scrape through with little or no knowledge #TheChase."