Unexpected 4-Letter Word Correct Answer Leaves Game Show Contestant In Shock

A U.K. game show has done the unthinkable after a contestant scored a correct answer with a surprising four-letter word.

The Chase has been a popular fixture on ITV since 2009. A U.S. version of the show has aired on ABC since 2021, with Sara Haines serving as host.

A quiz-based game show, the premise essentially pits contestants against a professional quizzer or "Chaser" who is tasked with preventing them from winning a cash prize.

Hosted by actor and comedian Bradley Walsh, the U.K. version is now in its 16th season. During that time, like any big game show, it has played host to any number of bizarre and occasionally hilarious moments.

One episode went viral after viewers noticed the contestants "Winston" and "Churchill" were sitting alongside each other. In another instance, Walsh struggled to maintain his composure when a question concerning sportswoman Fanny Chmelar appeared on the board.

Now The Chase is once again making waves on social media, although it's for an altogether different reason. The incident came during a recently aired episode and left Walsh, the contestant and the studio audience watching on, surprised and amused.

During the segment, Walsh asked the contestant: "In computer security what word can go before 'code', 'phrase' and 'word'?" After a brief struggle to think of the correct answer, the contestant responded "pass."

Unbeknownst to him, however, this proved an inspired response. "Correct," a slightly confused-sounding Walsh replied, with the audience laughing at what unfolded.

After the round was over, Walsh acknowledged what had unfolded. "It's happened," he said as the contestants and audience laughed. "It's actually happened. The word 'pass' is an answer."

Looking over in the direction of the similarly amused contestant, Walsh branded him a "jammy so-and-so" for being so lucky to get that question and also accidentally say the correct answer.

A clip of the incident was later shared to The Chase TikTok channel.

"After 14 years of #TheChase, it FINALLY happened! And it's as GLORIOUS as we imagined," an accompanying caption read. The video has already been watched over 9.5 million times, with viewers in awe of how it all unfolded.

"Task failed successfully," one TikToker joked with another commenting: "I always wanted it to happen." A third said: "I'm more surprised he didn't know that" while a fourth wrote "unfortunately I would have said next instead of pass."

This isn't the first time a game show contestant's answer has gone viral.

For many, the incident also stirred up memories of another infamous contestant on The Chase in 2018 who answered "pass" to every single question put to her.

"Remember the woman who only said pass," one fan wrote. "She needed this question."

Newsweek has contacted ITV for comment.