Thursday evening's episode of The Chase left fans fuming, with many branding it 'embarrassing' and 'pointless' after a team of contestants scraped together one of the lowest prize pots in recent memory.

Host Bradley Walsh, 65, welcomed Callum, Heath, Roz and Nigel as they went head-to-head with Chaser Darragh 'The Menace' Ennis.

But it quickly became apparent that the team were playing it safe - and viewers did not hold back in their criticism.

Roz, Nigel and Heath set the tone early, banking £1,000, £2,000 and £3,000 respectively in their cash builder rounds, leaving the team with just £6,000 between them.

Their unwillingness to take risks only fuelled the frustration of fans at home.

'Three people back with only six grand in the pot? Why bother?' one viewer raged online. Another added: 'They play for more money on Pointless these days.'

Thursday evening's episode of The Chase left fans fuming, with many branding it 'embarrassing' and 'pointless' [Pictured: Host Bradley Walsh]

The team of four hopefuls went up against Chaser Darragh 'The Menace' Ennis (pictured) in their head-to-head rounds

'You get more money sitting outside your local Co-op with a begging bowl than going on this programme,' wrote one unimpressed fan.

Another fumed: '£1k low offer taken! With a £3k cash builder! How much longer are these terrible episodes going to go on for?

'Why are we left with contestants who perform poorly in the cash builder and take the stupid low offer! What's going on here?'

It was left to Callum to bring some dignity back to the team. He managed to secure £5,000 in his cash builder, but admitted to Bradley that he had 'guessed' most of the answers during his head-to-head.

By sheer luck, his guesses paid off and he returned to the desk, boosting the total to £11,000 - meaning each player stood to take home £2,750.

Even Darragh was forced to acknowledge the remarkable fortune of Callum's run. He remarked: 'Some are lucky at the table and some are just extraordinarily lucky at the table. Callum was extraordinarily lucky.'

Both the Chaser and Bradley urged the team to step up their performance if they hoped to stand a chance in the Final Chase.

And while the quartet made a promising start - answering several questions in quick succession - their momentum quickly faltered.

Bradley welcomed Callum, Heath, Roz and Nigel, but it quickly became apparent that the team were playing it safe - and viewers did not hold back in their criticism

One of the most glaring mistakes came when they were asked about the recognised language of the Islamic world.

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The team incorrectly answered 'Islam', prompting Bradley to explain that Islam is a religion, while the correct response was Arabic.

Ultimately, the team managed just 12 correct answers. Despite two successful pushbacks against Darragh, he swept to victory with 42 seconds still left on the clock.

Viewers were left unimpressed by the display. '12 and caught. No excuses available, just a poor performance unfortunately,' one wrote. Another added: '£11,000 for four is embarrassing. Loss was the only outcome.'

Others went further, demanding their time back. 'Didn't even stand a chance. I want a 60-minute refund,' one posted, while another wondered: 'Why doesn't Bradley say "one of the worst teams ever"?'

The Chase airs on weekdays from 5pm on ITV1 and is available to view on ITVX.

The Chase fans rage 'how can this go on?!' after 'terrible' episode