Eagle-eyed The Chase viewers cringed after spotting an 'unfortunate' question about Peter Mandelson in an old episode.

The installment, first shown on screens back in 2015, had been repeated on Challenge TV.

It featured the following question: 'In 1996, who said “My project will be complete when the Labour Party learns to love Peter Mandelson?"'.

Former Prime Ministers Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major were possible answers - with chaser Shaun Wallace correctly selecting Blair.

Taking to X, radio broadcaster Toby Tarrant posted: 'Unfortunate day to play this old episode on Challenge.’

One person commented: 'Someone in scheduling has played a blinder there.'

Another said: 'Ouch! Show me something that didn’t age well without saying it didn’t age well.'

A third commented: 'Perfect timing. Serendipity.' 

A fourth chimed in: 'I'm sure challenge deliberately put that episode on.' 

It comes amid mounting pressure on Sir Keir Starmer - and speculation about Labour MP moves to topple him as PM - amid the Mandelson and Epstein scandal.

New revelations about Mandelson's ongoing communications following the shamed financier's conviction and jailing on child prostitution charges have been revealed in the latest release of more than 3million Epstein-related documents.  

Emails in the tranche appear to show Lord Mandelson passing potentially market-sensitive information to the financier in 2009, while he was Business Secretary in Gordon Brown's government. 

Downing Street confirmed the PM also knew that Mandelson had continued to stay at Epstein's house while the businessman was in prison for child sexual abuse offences and after he was released.

It is understood that when Mandelson was appointed towards the end of 2024, Sir Keir was handed a two-page document by the Cabinet Office ethics team, summarising the well-rehearsed conflicts of issues and previous scandals.

Sir Keir insisted he acted swiftly to sack Mandelson last September when it emerged he had advised Epstein to appeal against his conviction for soliciting a minor. 

 He told MPs he was 'as angry as the public' about the conduct of his former ally. 'He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein… I regret appointing him.'

Mandelson, who is losing his peerage and place on the Privy Council, has denied the documents show he broke any laws or acted for personal gain. He has repeatedly said he regrets his friendship with Epstein. 

Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said the fiasco could have been avoided if the PM had allowed Mandelson to be interviewed by MPs such as herself, instead of rushing through the political appointment.

John McDonnell, ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's former shadow chancellor, told Sky News the PM should quit.

He said: 'I've never called for him to go but I have lost confidence in him. The decisions around Mandelson pushed me over the edge.'