BBC Strictly star details ‘scary’ time on ITV’s The Chase as major disadvantage explained

Strictly Come Dancing star Jason Bell, who appeared in the BBC series back in 2020 alongside professional dancer Luba Mushtuk, spoke about his appearance on another reality show after being voted out of the competition.

The sports commentator and former NFL player took part in the celebrity version of ITV ’s The Chase shortly after appearing on Strictly, and he admitted the game show was “scary”.

Jason has provided some insights into his time on The Chase in a wider interview with Reach about his partnership with Samsung, as they launch their American Football Jargon Buster to help British fans better understand the game ahead of the upcoming season.

With a laugh, he confirmed: “Yeah, [The Chase] was scary.”

He then went on to point out one major disadvantage, as he explained: “You know, I watch all these shows, and one thing that's hard is I'm an American.

“So, some of the things they say or do, I'm like, ‘Ah, this is cool, but what is that?’ Like, basic knowledge stuff.

“I didn't grow up listening or hearing it, but I still love these shows. I really like the game shows out here. I think all of them are so fun and entertaining. So, I really liked going on that.”

Jason appeared on the ITV quiz show alongside singer Cheryl Baker, weather woman Laura Tobin and comedian Mark Steel.

While Jason was knocked out before the final round, the other three faced Chaser Jenny Ryan, who eventually defeated them, meaning they lost out on winning a £142,000 for charity.

Elsewhere in the interview, Jason excitedly spoke about his new, helpful guide to help American Football novices understand the game better.

He said: “The British love their sports, but to understand your sports, you’ve got to know the rules, and Samsung has got some data together that shows over 60% of the public is struggling with knowing the rules.

“That's why we started the NFL Jargon Buster playbook, so we can give them some of the terminology so they can try to follow along.

“Sometimes the words and terminology will kind of just throw you off, so being able to understand what it all means will allow you to [get into it].

“It's just like learning a new language. You’ve just got to build on each word at a time, and the next thing you know, you're speaking fluently.”

Summing up the game for new fans, he continued: “For the main rules, you just have to think that the team's got four tries to move the ball 10 yards, and that's, in essence, what you're trying to do. It's as simple as that.

“Watch the quarterback - that's the key. Everything starts and ends with them, and really just move on from there. But keep watching and be patient with yourself.

“And then I would say, keep my Jargon Buster playbook right in front of you, in case something pops up. So, then you can say, ‘Oh, I know exactly what that means!’

“But now is the time to really get involved, because this is when good football is starting to be played,” he encouraged.

Jason also identified his top two teams: legacy champions Kansas City Chiefs, and the Detroit Lions, who he described as “the underdogs”.

Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Jason Bell has partnered with Samsung , the official TV partner of NFL UK, to create the American Football Jargon Buster to help fans from fumbling the rules.

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