Seven denies Larry to be replaced at The Chase
Replacing a loyal host, or even a show, could lead to an audience backlash, but Seven says no moves are afoot.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News, Top Stories
Seven has denied the speculation in two media articles by news.com.au which suggests Larry Emdur may be replaced as host of The Chase
According to the article, “… the position of The Chase host Larry Emdur was under review, a search is said to be underway to find a replacement program for the slot in the hope of arresting the slide of audiences to main competitor Nine.”
It’s factually correct that Tipping Point now wins the timeslot, this week by a gap of up to 183,000.
Does it mean the host is to blame? Of course not.
Aside from the fact Larry Emdur helped save the show when Andrew O’Keefe had to be replaced, he went on to win the Gold Logie last year (something he hadn’t achieved with The Morning Show, until The Chase was added to his roster).
Nine’s gamble with Tipping Point and likeable host Todd Woodbridge has also paid off. Some viewers have switched allegiance and it is aiding Nine News, which enjoyed a win on Thursday.
But there are also other factors to consider.
The Chase still remains competitive for Seven. It is Nine which has shot ahead after replacing Hot Seat.
Comparing a Chase week in May to the same in 2024, some days the difference is only 5,000 viewers.
The Chase week on week:
Monday May 6 2024: 737,000
Monday May 5 2025; 726,000
Tuesday May 7 2024: 730,000
Tuesday May 6 2025: 654,000
Wednesday May 8 2024: 688,000
Wednesday May 7 2025: 683,000
Thursday May 9 2024: 708,000
Thursday May 8 2025: 642,000
Friday May 10 2024: 670,000
Friday May 9 2025: 614,000
Average for the week in 2024: 706,000
Average for the week in 2025: 664,000
Media speculation reports of Seven supposedly contemplating replace Emdur, the show, or both.
This is despite new episodes about to be filmed by ITV Studios Australia.
A Seven spokesperson said, “The Chase doesn’t need reviving! It remains very competitive in its timeslot, delivering a big audience night in, night out. And Larry will absolutely continue to host The Chase. To suggest otherwise is nonsense and deliberately misleading.”
The article also refers to tension amongst Seven executives, with talk of a push for more news programming as a possible solution. Riiiight.
There are no guarantees more news programming would solve any problems.
Indeed, that might only send Tipping Point even higher.
Frankly, the whole thing reeks of internal power games at Seven, probably leaking to press, leaving a loyal host in the crosshairs.
- Tagged with The Chase, Tipping Point
35 Responses
news.com.au – fast heading down the route of Daily Mail with more fluffy click bait stories than actual news.
Big problems losing their nightly news lead in, they will have to Greenlight something new if they want it to start by 2026 Ratings. Assuming the chase will remain in the upfronts.
Given that Seven News Sydney have been running a $2k competition in conjunction with WSFM…sorry, Gold 101.7 for at least two of the last three weeks, I’d say there are also likely to be problems with ratings of the news itself (at least in some markets) that shouldn’t be ignored.
Having said that, Nine News Sydney could still be doing better in certain areas. Eg, Seven’s bulletin-ending “Bright Side” reports probably should be responded to with “Mike Dalton’s Sydney” or similar as a brand for TCN’s often hyper-local feature reports.
With that sort of reporting actually being one of those multi decades-long Nine News Sydney traditions seemingly held near and dear to the 6pm bulletin’s heart (prior to Dalts we had the late Peter Harvey doing this sort of thing, and the long-retired but AFAIK still alive John Collis before that), it’s amazing that TCN aren’t attempting to make a more vigorous defense of it.
It’s taken me this long to work out that maybe the whole thing is a giant publicity stunt. Get people talking about it and gauge their reaction. I wonder if the producers are reading these comments & the ones on social media
I’d say less a stunt, and more panic – they are spiralling.
I don’t believe Larry to be the problem. The format is slow, the show doesn’t zip along. I miss the days when quiz shows were 30 minutes in duration. Sale, Wheel, NPIR, Hot Seat, etc. Also, the chances of the contestants taking home the cash prize pool is very, very slim. They work so hard to get to the final chase. How many questions per episode do they answer? A lot! And they have to do it fast (even with the multiple choice section). With Millionaire – the contestants have all the time in the world to ponder, wonder, call a friend, ask the audience, blah blah. The Chase is a great general knowledge quiz show, however its format means it’s stacked completely against the contestants (who again are smart to answer so many questions, and very fast). Some nights, the questions for the Chaser are ridiculously easy, it almost seems on purpose…. Also why can’t contestants each take home $1,000 if they manage to actually reach The Bank in the multiple choice section against The Chaser?
The Chase has lost its way, the money spinner is obviously rigged and not necessary. The Chasers don’t need to buzz in in the final chase and often answer before the question has been read which gives them a big advantage over the contestants (so less wins) and Larry can take too long to read out the questions compared to Andrew. In saying that I don’t think it’s Larry’s fault and the ratings aren’t that bad, it’s just that Tipping Point is new and fresh and viewers like Todd too.
I personally don’t like Tipping Point (yawn) and if Im home I will watch The Chase or 10 News. Seven just need to speed it up, I notice next week they are playing all the pre recorded big wins which is a bit desperate, then what, they have a lot of loser eps to play? If I was 7 I wouldn’t worry about it until next year if there is more of a gap, some days are still close. I know what I would do in the slot to be competitive but I’m not getting paid to give network execs ideas, let them think of something.
The reason they don’t need to buzz in is because it’s just them. If there is only one contestant at the end, then they don’t need to buzz in either. So it’s not that much of an advantage, they also have a head start as well which would negate the buzzer advantage.
In a nutshell, The Chase suffers from lacklustre gameplay, somewhat dubious, consistent wins by the Chasers and very few wins from the contesants are just some of the reasons it’s failing. It’s not Larry, but I admit he’s a touch boring
Tipping Point certainly isn’t as vibrant or as loud as Deal or no Deal but it’s clearly struck a chord and the ratings reflect its appeal
The flaw isn’t the age of the format (the UK version is hoing strong 16 years on) – it’s the panic of producers introducing things that messed with what was working. The mega money spinner has no place on this show and defeats the entire point of the show – that to win big money you have to take risks in your own head to head. Now there is no point in doing that knowing producers will top up the prize fund anyway which makes the bulk of the hour less relevant.
The Chase Australia always made a mistake setting the basic level for questions at $2k rather than $1k but not raising the top offers according. It would be a better show if the cash builder amount was halved which would encourage more people to take the top offer and lead to more tense head to heads and more money being in play.
I totally agree. If i was on the show i would take the low offer, making my chance of getting through better, and then get topped up through the mega money spinner..so you are right, it is flawed.
Personally i preferred Andrew O’Keefe, i find Larry a bit boring, but obviously alot of people love him so i don’t think a host replace will help, and who would that be anyway.
I think Larry Emdur is a stock commercial TV personality, his value is that he can be put anywhere, anytime, but maybe not for the long term, that possibly is the problem, these type of ubiquitous evening TV shows do need a bit of a polish every now and then, and that reality may soon also include ‘Deal or No Deal’ in my opinion, though it arguably has a bit more life left in it than ‘The Chase’. Poor old Grant Denyer must be exhausted.
16 years of TMS is long term. He’s also seen as key Price is Right host across several seasons.
i’ve never gotten into Deal, maybe that’s part of it, the pace is just too exhausting lol
Changing hosts for ratings rarely leads to success. Just look at the failure of Spicks and Specks with Josh Earl, or Karl being dropped from Today. Both shows enjoyed better ratings when the original host returned.
It’s not the host that’s for sure. Larry does a fantastic job. It’s just the show like all others has been on air forever. Deal or No Deal when on Seven dominated for so long but it got old over time and people switched. It’s just how game shows goes these days. Tipping Point is the current flavour of the month so to speak and that will change eventually too. My only irk with that show is Todd. I really don’t like him but a lot of people do. Be interesting to see what Seven might try if they are looking for an alternative.
Absolutely right. It’s ageing gracefully but when it comes to older shows and formats you can rarely wind back the clock and time is against you. Seven should consider trialling Sale of the Century or a new format for a limited run to see if there is appetite for an alternative to Tipping Point
It’s pretty obvious to me that Larry Emdur is not the problem with The Chase. Indeed, him replacing AOK in 2021 was likely a major contributing factor in the demise of Hot Seat and Emdur winning the Gold Logie last year.
An On-Air Presentation refresh (set, graphics, theme music, etc.), bringing in new Chasers and/or upping the prize money are all ideas that should be considered for a rejuvenation of The Chase Australia though.
7 Does not like to be No. 2 – especially leading into their main News Bulletin.
And the success of Tipping Point has enabled 9 News to beat them on occasions eg last Thursday.
One of the easiest (but not guaranteed) ways to refresh a show is with a new host.
But 7 spokesperson’s comments sound more of desperation rather than confidence.
Tipping Point’s UK hypnotic machine has not dulled – it is still winning at 3pm.
Something will change at 530pm by next year, and I doubt whether it will be the silver counters.
Id like them to bring back Wheel of Fortune…not the Graham Norton version but an aussie made version or Sale of the century..i think its time to bring back a true quiz show with a buzzer like sale.
i would like to see Wheel back too, but yeah the UK version is awful. Sale would be good too.
While I don’t want to see the show being replaced, I wouldn’t mind if they rotate their 5pm Game Shows – say 5 months of New eps of The Chase, 5 months of a new format, with Summer allowed for reruns. Do 10 week blocks of each with episodes on 7 plus.
Allows 7 to have their cake and eat it – try a fresh format to see if it moves the needle but the promise of the old reliable is there too.
i can remember when 7 replaced John Burgess with Tony Barber on Wheel of fortune that lasted than 1 year so 7 would want to be very careful Replacing Larry on the chase
Whilst 10 news at 5 is slightly more competitive lately and breathing down 7s neck in some states, The Chase is still way ahead nationally. Not number 1, but a very strong number 2 still.
Maybe it’s time to gameshow jobshare. Swapping out the chase with another games how every 3 months.
Then in the last week before the swap back they could have a couple of champion episodes/second chances from contestants over the last 3 months.
Why would they replace him? He won the gold logie last year
Larry is great at anything he does, its just a tired format now.
I’d keep the gameshow format fresh by having a different game show each quarter to bolster interest. It could be a revamped Sale of the Century, followed by a new format from overseas, a new and better version of The Price is Right and then a new game show, there’s plenty out there.
Tried watching Tipping Point … not for us.
We do watch the 2nd half of The Chase (got tied of watching repeats of 10 year old Antiques Roadshow) but the problem I see is that most of the episodes each week are repeats (although not to us). If I recall correctly, Wed through Fri were all repeats. Surely that would affect the number of viewers?
I watch Celebrity Family Feud on Arena then switch over to SBS to watch repeats of Letters and Numbers
The chase seems rigged towards the chaser, contestants rarely win and the prize money is crap
Not sure I would say it is rigged, but it is hard to win. When you look back on prize give-aways on past game shows like Sale Of The Century, The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune etc. and compare it to the money won on The Chase Australia, it makes it look pretty mean.
Maybe biased is a better word than rigged.
Chasers also get more questions as they can answer when they want, but contestants must wait until their name is called, chasers consistently get short questions and very easy ones towards the end of final chase…and the big UK bloke is a sook 😂
i think its been proved over the years that the prize amount is not always that relevant for ratings.
It’s just a 10 year old show starting to show its age against a fresher competitor. I don’t think anyone is to blame in particular:
Larry has made the show his own and should not be replaced! However, TCA is on the decline as a format and could be wise to rest it for a brand new concept/gameshow perhaps? Something new & Australian for a change?