Mark Labbett Warns Bradley Walsh After The Chase Host Exposes His Supposed Secret Career Move
Mark Labbett appeared to scold Bradley Walsh after the presenter jokingly revealed an unexpected career opportunity involving The Beast during a memorable episode of ITV’s The Chase.
The quiz expert, famous for his intimidating presence and extraordinary general knowledge, found himself at the centre of an amusing exchange when Bradley suggested he had once been considered for an unlikely television advertising role.
The revelation came during an episode originally broadcast on June 19, 2020, as four contestants attempted to outsmart the formidable Chaser and take home a cash prize.
What began as an ordinary multiple-choice question quickly turned into a running joke about chocolate, advertising mascots and a supposedly disastrous screen test.
Bradley Walsh Catches Mark Labbett Off Guard
The episode featured contestants Chris, Susan, Alex and Angela, who were hoping to combine their knowledge and defeat Mark Labbett in the Final Chase.
First to face Bradley was Chris, a 36-year-old support worker.
He made a promising start by answering eight questions correctly during the Cash Builder, earning £8,000 for his potential prize fund.
When he came face to face with Mark, the Chaser offered him a lower amount of £2,000 or the chance to gamble on a much larger £32,000.
His teammate Angela encouraged him to consider the higher offer if he felt confident enough.
However, Chris decided to protect his original £8,000 and attempt to return to the team.
It was during his head-to-head round that Bradley and Mark became distracted by an unexpected subject.
The host asked which advertising character firefighter Patrick McBride had been chosen to portray in 2016.
The possible answers were the Milk Tray Man, the Honey Monster and the Milkybar Kid.
Both Chris and Mark selected the correct answer, the Milk Tray Man.
But rather than simply moving on to the next question, Mark decided to make a joke of his own.
The Beast Makes a Mysterious Remark About an Advertising Mascot
As Bradley confirmed the answer, Mark offered an amusing comment about one of the other advertising characters.
“Well, unfortunately for contractual reasons I’m not allowed to reveal who’s under the Honey Monster costume!” he joked.
The unexpected remark prompted Bradley to fire back with an even more elaborate story.
He suggested that Mark had once been considered for the role of the Milk Tray Man, the famous advertising character associated with delivering chocolates in dramatic circumstances.
According to Bradley’s joke, the screen test had not gone particularly well.
The presenter claimed Mark had eaten the chocolates before he had even completed the character’s dramatic cliff-diving stunt.
“Although you were to play the Milk Tray Man but in your screen test you’d eaten the chocolates by the time you’d dived off the cliff!” Bradley teased.
The remark immediately drew laughter.
Mark then responded with mock outrage, pretending Bradley had disclosed information that was supposed to remain confidential.
“You promised you weren’t going to reveal that!” he exclaimed.
The exchange was clearly humorous, with no evidence presented that Mark had genuinely auditioned for the advertising role.
Nevertheless, Bradley’s joke and Mark’s perfectly timed response created an entertaining interruption to the quiz.
A Supposed New Career That Had Viewers Laughing
Mark has long been known to viewers as The Beast, a nickname reflecting both his imposing stature and his reputation as one of the programme’s toughest opponents.
His interactions with Bradley regularly provide lighter moments between challenging rounds of general knowledge.
This particular exchange offered a playful alternative to his usual role as the intimidating quiz expert.
The suggestion of Mark taking on a chocolate advertising campaign was especially amusing given the physical demands traditionally associated with the Milk Tray Man.
The character became famous for elaborate adventures involving dangerous-looking climbs, jumps and daring deliveries, all undertaken to present someone with a box of chocolates.
Bradley’s imagined version of Mark’s screen test turned that familiar advertising image into a joke about the Chaser’s appetite.
Mark’s response added to the humour by treating the invented audition as though it were a genuine secret that Bradley had broken a promise to keep.
The two men quickly returned to the competition, but the moment stood out as one of the episode’s most entertaining exchanges.
Chris and Susan Struggle Against The Beast
Despite making a strong start in the Cash Builder, Chris was unable to overcome Mark during the head-to-head round.
He was eliminated before reaching the Final Chase, leaving his teammates to continue without his contribution.
Susan also failed to make it through her individual encounter with the Chaser.
The consecutive eliminations placed the remaining contestants under considerable pressure.
Alex was next to take on Mark.
He was presented with an opportunity to compete for a substantial £40,000 high offer but chose a much safer route instead.
Alex accepted the lower offer of £1,000 and successfully returned to the team.
His decision ensured that at least one contestant would have the opportunity to compete in the Final Chase.
Angela, a 45-year-old full-time mother, then stepped forward to attempt to increase the prize fund.
She managed to answer two questions correctly during her Cash Builder, earning £2,000.
Rather than risk losing that amount by accepting a more challenging offer, she decided to stick with what she had earned.
However, she was unable to join Alex in the final round.
As a result, Alex was left to face Mark alone.
The Final Chase Ends in Disappointment
With his teammates eliminated, Alex entered the Final Chase as the team’s sole representative.
He managed to answer 11 questions correctly, setting a target for Mark to pursue.
However, the Chaser demonstrated why he had earned his formidable reputation.
Mark caught the target with 49 seconds remaining on the clock, bringing the contestants’ hopes of winning to an end.
The result meant that none of the four players left the studio with a share of the prize fund.
Although the competition ended in disappointment for the team, the episode was not without memorable moments.
Bradley’s joke about Mark’s supposed advertising career provided a welcome dose of humour during an otherwise difficult game for the contestants.
Bradley and Mark’s On-Screen Chemistry
The exchange highlighted the familiar relationship between Bradley Walsh and Mark Labbett, whose playful verbal sparring has become a popular feature of The Chase.
Bradley often uses his quick wit to tease the Chasers, while Mark regularly responds with sarcastic remarks or mock indignation.
Their banter helps balance the competitive atmosphere of the programme, particularly when contestants face difficult questions or disappointing results.
In this instance, a question about an advertising character created the perfect opportunity for both men to improvise.
Mark began the exchange with his mysterious Honey Monster comment, but Bradley quickly turned the joke back on him.
The Beast’s exaggerated protest completed the moment, making it appear as though the host had revealed an embarrassing secret.
There was no suggestion of a genuine disagreement between the pair.
Instead, the exchange demonstrated how easily a routine quiz question could become an entertaining conversation.
A Classic The Chase Moment Worth Revisiting
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More than six years after the episode first aired, the playful encounter remains an example of the spontaneous comedy that has helped establish The Chase as one of ITV’s most recognisable quiz programmes.
The competition itself was a difficult one for the four contestants, with Mark eliminating the entire team and catching the final target comfortably.
Yet it was Bradley’s suggestion that The Beast had failed an unlikely chocolate commercial audition that provided the episode’s standout lighter moment.
Mark’s mock complaint that Bradley had broken a promise gave the joke its finishing touch.
For viewers revisiting the episode, the scene offers a reminder that some of the programme’s most entertaining exchanges happen not during the big-money decisions, but in the brief conversations between questions.
And while Mark’s supposed move into advertising was never presented as a genuine career announcement, his quick response ensured that the joke landed perfectly.
This article revisits an episode of The Chase originally broadcast on June 19, 2020, as reported by the Daily Express. The supposed advertising audition was part of an on-air joke, not a confirmed career move.