Mark Labbett has become somewhat of a national treasure, recognised mostly as his alter-ego The Beast, on Bradley Walsh’s popular game show The Chase.
Thanks to his outlandish behaviour with him often seen losing his temper on-screen after opponents have pipped him to the win, he quickly became a fan favourite among ITV audiences.
Having been a firm staple on The Chase since 2009, his fame has really propelled with the TV personality even invited across the pond to join the quiz show Master Minds in 2023.
In fact, Mark once secured the title of the World Most Successful Chaser and it comes as no surprise with him appearing on the UK’s Beat The Chasers, along with starring on US and Australian versions of the quiz programme too.
It isn’t just Mark’s persona that has kept the nation in the palm of his hand either, fans have been eagerly witnessing his rollercoaster life in recent time, including an epic weight loss, suffering heartbreak in the public eye and also battling a chronic health condition.
Marriage breakdown
When he’s not working and showcasing his masterful knowledge, Mark likes to enjoy a low key life in the comfort of his cosy home in Rotherham.
Following his scandalous marriage breakdown to his ex-wife and second cousin Katie in 2020, Mark now lives alone with his adorable Golden Retriever dog, Baloo.
In 2020, Mark uncovered that Katie had been unfaithful and was in a secret relationship with design engineer Scott Bate. Speaking to the Mail at the time, The Beast said: ‘When Katie first came clean to me about her boyfriend, I’d had an inkling.”
Katie and Mark share a son named Lawrence, eight, together who they now co-parent after they’d attempted to maintain an open marriage but the TV star struggled and then opted out, stepping aside for Katie’s romance to blossom with Scott.
It was widely reported at the time, that the famous chaser and his ex-wife had a 27 year age gap which Mark previously blamed for their marriage breakdown.
Split from TV star girlfriend
Despite suffering immeasurable heartache, in 2023 Mark did move on. Striking up a relationship with TV presenter Hayley Palmer and the pair seemed incredibly loved up.
They decided to make things official and made their romance public in May 2023 after they’d been spotted enjoy a cosy time at the beach in Southsea, Portsmouth.
However, after the pair took to Loose Women to chat about their relationship and confirm their one year anniversary, devastation was to come when Mark decided to call it all off – which came as a complete surprise to Hayley.
The ITV quizmaster, 59, left Hayley heartbroken after he ended their relationship over the phone and completely out of the blue after marking their one-year romance at the Beefeater pub.
Speaking to The Sun about the reasons behind the surprising break up, Mark blamed his age again. He said: “It’s me, I got old”.
He added: “She’s [Hayley’s] a lovely lady and I was very lucky to date her for a year, and as I said…it’s me, I got old. There’s been no one since Hayley, I’m not saying there won’t be another one. But I’m certainly not looking.”
Health condition
Away from the show, The Beast has always been candid when it comes to his chronic health condition. The 59-year-old revealed in 2017 that he’d been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Although, the TV star had never experienced a diabetic episode, his blood glucose was dangerously low at one point and started to take a toll on his overall health.
In a chat with OK! he previously recalled a nurse making the life changing discovery which would then go on to shake up his world. Mark recalled: ‘I’ve got skin that doesn’t heal properly in my lower legs. A nurse looked at me and she asked, ‘Are you sure you’re not diabetic?’
“They took a test and she said: ‘Yes, you’re diabetic.'” After the alarming news, the chaser was on a life-long mission to overhaul his life.
Weight loss
Mark is fast approaching a significant milestone with his 60th birthday soon on the horizon. As a devoted dad to one son, the ITV star wanted to do all that he could to ensure his health condition would not hold him back in life.
The quiz master decided it was time to go on a health kick and managed to shed a whopping 10 stone after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
On a previously appearance of Loose Women he spoke about his love of sugar and that losing weight had never been easy. He told the panel, at the time: “I’m not a drinker, but sugar has always been my downfall.
“A good friend of mine who had the gastric band said it won’t do any good for me as I get all my calories by sugar, and it’s too easy to digest. ‘I still have sugar but an awful lot less. I should have less still.”
He further shared: “I am gradually dropping Xs off my size. I’ve gone from 5XL to 4XL, and it looks like the next time I go shopping, I’ll be able to squeeze into XL underpants. I’ve lost 10 stone. I was 29 stone when I was a full-time teacher in 2003, and I was in danger of high blood pressure.”
The Chase airs weekdays on ITV1, from 5pm