Viewers of ITV’s The Chase have called out the broadcaster for featuring a question about The Prodigy hours after Keith Flint’s death.
- The NME Obituary: Keith Flint, 1969-2019: the twisted face of rave, the beating heart of The Prodigy
The frontman was found dead at his Essex home on Monday morning (March 4). He was 49 years old.
On Monday night’s edition of the quiz show, host Bradley Walsh asked one contestant: “Which of these chart acts has the fewest members?” Three options were given for the answer, including The Pretenders, The Proclaimers, and The Prodigy.
Many viewers took to Twitter after the broadcast, criticising the decision to air the episode and the “bad timing” of the question.
Bad timing for The Prodigy question #TheChase
— Anna Walsh (@AnnaWal40204994) March 4, 2019
One viewer tweeted: “Jesus, The Chase just had a question ‘which of these groups has the fewest members?’ Proclaimers, Pretenders or Prodigy.”
Another posted: “#thechase gosh #ITV someone at your programming should have checked this out before broadcasting dudes RIP.”
A third wrote: “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.”
Jesus , The Chase just had a question "which of these groups has the fewest members?" Proclaimers, Pretenders or Prodigy…
— Steve F (@UpperTierSteve) March 4, 2019
#thechase gosh #ITV someone at your programming should have checked this out before broadcasting dudes RIP #KeithFlint #Prodigy pic.twitter.com/FMzCghJHpq
— Clinton Yorke (@clintonyorke) March 4, 2019
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.?
— Stevie W. (@Pedropedroofsh1) March 4, 2019
An ITV spokesperson said of the incident: “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.”
Tributes for Flint have poured in from stars since the news of his death broke, including Dave Grohl, Sleaford Mods, Kasabian, Ed Simons of The Chemical Brothers and Ian Brown, who wrote: “R.I.P KEITH FLINT a beautiful human.”
Liam Howlett, Flint’s bandmate, said he was “shell shocked, fuckin’ angry, confused and heart broken” after learning his “brother” had taken his own life.
Further details of his final days have since begun to emerge, with people who knew him remembering him as a “positive and proud” person.