Viewers of The Chase have been left horrified after a question about The Prodigy was asked during an episode which aired just hours after the death of front man Keith Flint.
On March 4, Keith Flint was found dead at his home in Essex at the age of 49.
His death came as a shock to fans, and many have been expressing their sadness at his loss on social media.
Another shock to fans came in an episode of the ITV quiz show that included the band in an unfortunately worded question.
A contestant was asked the following question by host of The Chase Bradley Walsh:
Which of these chart acts has the fewest members?
The contestant then had to select between the following options: Pretenders, The Proclaimers and The Prodigy.
Episodes of The Chase are pre-recorded, and it is unfortunate that this question slipped through at this sad time.
Many viewers were left outraged by the timing of the question, taking to social media to express their views.
One person tweeted:
6hrs ago @ITV you tweeted about the sad loss of Prodigy’s Keith Flint.
Then on The Chase this evening you broadcast a episode with a question saying which band has fewer members, and one of the options is “The Prodigy”.That’s just plain awful.
Another said:
#thechase gosh #ITV someone at your programming should have checked this out before broadcasting dudes RIP
A spokesperson from ITV has since given the following statement regarding the unfortunate question to Metro:
The Chase is pre-recorded (months) in advance and we do always make best endeavours to ensure our scheduling and programme content is not insensitive in light of news events when episodes are due to air. We apologise this was not spotted.
After the news of Keith’s death broke, his bandmates from The Prodigy released the following heartbreaking statement about their ‘brother and best friend’:
It is with deepest shock and sadness that we can confirm the death of our brother and best friend Keith Flint. A true pioneer, innovator and legend. He will be forever missed.
We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.
Our thoughts are with the family, friends, bandmates and fans of Keith Flint during this difficult time.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.