The Chase viewers have accused Bradley Walsh of going too far with a joke he made about Anne Hegerty.

Walsh, who has presented the ITV quiz show since it began in 2009, is known for poking fun at “the chasers”, but the latest quip, which was seemingly aimed at Hegerty’s weight, made viewers feel uncomfortable.

During a celebrity version of the episode, actor Adam Garcia was taking on Hegerty when they were asked: “The top weekly performer on The Great British Bake Off is often given what title?”

Walsh asked Hegerty, who once appeared on reality series I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, if she would ever appear on the C4 baking show, to which she replied: “I don’t think so.”

The presenter then replied: “Probably because you’d never see the end product,” prompting gasps from the audience as well as Garcia.

Hegerty laughed the joke off, stating: “That’s a very fair point,” but viewers of the quiz show complained about the moment on social media.

“Bradley Walsh dropping fat jokes on the chase to the chasers,” one tweeter wrote, adding: “Getting a bit boring and rather rude.”

Another user added: “I know he was only joking, but personally I thought that was a bit nasty as he was referring to her being overweight.”

“Again, Bradley Walsh fat-shaming!” someone else said, referencing the fact he has caused controversy in the past with similar jokes about Mark Labbett.

One person demanded he stop “belittling” Hegerty because of her weight.