Mark Labbett, better known as The Beast from The Chase, has left fans gobsmacked with his impressive weight loss.
The quizmaster appeared on ITV’s This Morning late last year, discussing his pre-fame life as an “overweight maths teacher”.
The 59-year-old has been candid about the dramatic lifestyle transformation that led to him losing a significant amount of weight, and viewers were quick to compliment him.
“Mark Labbett has lost some weight – looking good,” one X user commented. Another remarked: “Wow @marklabbett has lost so much weight, but he looks great.”
A third commented: “Mark looks incredible after dropping the weight. Watching his interview he seems like such a lovely guy.”
Labbett first appeared on our screens on the ITV quiz show back in 2009 and has been open about his weight loss journey, which reached its peak during the 2020 lockdown. So, how much weight did Labbett lose?
In 2003, when he was a full-time teacher, Labbett weighed in at his heaviest weight of 29 stone. After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2016, he had to make drastic changes to his lifestyle to prevent further health deterioration.
Thanks to a healthier diet and improved exercise regime, he’s since dropped an impressive 10 stone. He’s now the “smallest” he’s been in 30 years after losing around 64kg, while still standing tall at 6ft 6in.
But how did Labbett achieve this weight loss? He embarked on his remarkable weight loss journey during the initial Covid lockdown in 2020.
Before the pandemic, he had already shed around three stone, but the closure of nurseries and the challenge of keeping up with his lively toddler saw him losing even more weight.
He once shared on Loose Women: “I found at the end of the evening instead of going to the fridge for late-night snacking, all I could do was collapse on the bed. “
His Labrador Retriever, Baloo, has also been a big part of his weight loss, as he discussed on ITV’s The Pet Show with Dermot O’Leary and Joanna Page: “I was walking him around the fields, taking me places… I think he’s helped a lot, simply because I’m doing more activity.
Adopting a diet low in sugar and carbs was crucial to what he calls his “complete nutrition overhaul.” Despite doctors’ warnings about the potential risks of gastric band surgery due to how his body processes sugar, Labbett did not opt for any surgical interventions.
Additionally, after experiencing symptoms similar to Covid, such as loss of taste and smell which led to a decreased appetite, he noticed further weight reduction.