A question on popular ITV show The Chase has had host and actor Bradley Walsh "terrified" over the true meaning of a nursery rhyme. The show sees four contestants who have never met before team up against a general knowledge genius known as The Chaser in a bid to win thousands. The six 'chasers' on the show are made up of Mark 'The Beast' Labbett, Shaun 'The Dark Destroyer' Wallace, Jenny 'The Vixen' Ryan, Paul 'The Sinnerman' Sinha, Darragh 'The Menace' Ennis and Issa 'The Supernerd' Schultz.
On Wednesday night contestant Ian from Guildford was tasked with a question which read: 'What part of a tree appears in the rhyme 'Hush-a-Bye Baby'?' Options for the answer were 'Bough', 'Branch' and 'Bark'. Both host Bradley and The Vixen were horrified when they realised what the scene portrays.
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The nursery rhyme goes: "Hush-a-by baby on the tree top, When the wind blows the cradle will rock; When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, Down tumbles baby, cradle and all." And after Ian and Jenny both chose 'bough' Bradley exclaimed: "It's a bit of an odd song, I've got to say." Jenny, 40, added: "It's terrifying." The 62-year-old presenter replied with wide eyes: "It is a terrifying song: 'When the bough breaks, the baby will fall'."
Jenny responded: "Who's put the baby at the top of a tree? Health and safety risk from the get-go. And then it's on a dodgy bough – the bough's broken."
Bradley stated: "What's all that about?" before pulling a face in disbelief. The nursery rhyme is believed to have first been published in Mother Goose's Melody in approximately 1765. While it's not known who put the baby at the top of the tree in an early edition of the rhyme these words follow the poem to highlight its meaning: "This may serve as a warning to the proud and ambitious, who climb so high that they generally fall at last".
The Chase airs on ITV at 5pm on weekdays.
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