You may know Sara Haines from her hosting duties on “The View,” or perhaps from her time on “Good Morning America” or “Today.” Now she’s hosting ABC’s newest quiz show, “The Chase.”
On “The Chase”, three competitors face off against the Chaser, a quiz show genius who stands in their way of winning huge cash prizes. Each hour there are up to 166 questions across all topics, and speed is a huge factor in winning.
“Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time”’s James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter take turns serving as the Chaser. Haines says the Chasers have become like family. “They literally felt like brothers.” She described Ken as warm, Brad as chill, and James as a brat—but she made it clear she meant that lovingly. “I was so surprised at how such smart people could be so relatable and not make you feel any different from them.”
When it comes to her hosting duties, there is a lot of pressure. “I know that people have money at stake,” says Haines. “I want to make sure I don’t mess up, that I represent the game and all the research that’s gone into it.”
Haines is also pretty sure that she wouldn’t do well if she was a contestant on “The Chase.” “I really don’t do well in pressure situations, I don’t do well in speed unless I’m reading scripted questions. I can promise you I would be awful and eliminated immediately.” That said, she’d still be willing to go for the big money. Every contestant receives an offer from the Chaser where they can take less money for an easier path towards winning, or they can take more money and decrease their odds. “What do I have to lose? I’m going for the big bet, because there’s no shot of making it to the final Chase, and if God forbid I do, I’m taking all the money.”
“The Chase” airs THURSDAYS (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST) on ABC.
Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.