Mark Labbett – who stars on The Chase – has had a couple of high-profile romances, from his marriage with his cousin to his relationship with TV star Hayley Palmer.
Here’s an inside look at the Beast’s love life…
The Chase star Mark Labbett and his marriage to second cousin Katie
Back in 2014, Mark tied the knot with Katie. They’d met two years prior when Mark had invited her to watch a recording of the celebrity edition of the show.
They got married in Arundel Cathedral in West Sussex.
During an interview with The Sun, Katie, who is 27 years younger than Mark, admitted she didn’t know who he was before they met.
“I had never heard of Mark or watched The Chase, but my gran mentioned him so I was intrigued,” she said.
It later emerged that the couple were in fact second cousins.
“It wasn’t something we were aware of at the time – it was one of those things that happened,” Mark admitted during an appearance on Loose Women.
‘Rough patch’ and split
Together, the couple had a son. However, in 2019, the couple hit a “rough patch”, and reportedly split for a while. However, they managed to patch things up.
“Like a lot of relationships, you go through a rough patch. We’re working as best we can to get through it,” Mark said on Loose Women.
Katie had met someone else, and for a while, the couple attempted to have an open marriage.
However, in 2020, issues sprang up again – leading to their split.
Mark Labbett and Katie’s open marriage
Speaking to The Sun in 2020, Mark revealed that he and Katie had attempted to have an open marriage after she met someone else.
“When Katie first came clean to me about her boyfriend, I’d had an inkling. But right from the start, my attitude was quite pragmatic — this was spilt milk, what could we do about the situation to make it OK?” he said.
“We had a family. We couldn’t just throw that away lightly. There were other considerations. But Covid provided the perfect storm. My mental health suffered and the differences in our ages became magnified,” he then continued.
“With Katie seeing Scott after lockdown, it’s got to the point where I realise it’s better for us to go our separate ways and remain friendly, without the stress factor of living together.”
Mark Labbett single after love split from girlfriend
Last year, Mark found love again with TV star Hayley Palmer. Hayley, 48, is known for being a presenter on Sky.
During an interview with The Sun on Sunday, Mark confessed he couldn’t believe he was dating her.
“I mean, look at her. I keep finding myself going, ‘Hang on, we’re actually going out?’ I don’t want to make her blush, but 15 years ago I was a maths teacher, I was 29st. I’m a very, very lucky man. I’ve got the job I was born to do and, in Hayley, someone to share it all with,” he said.
During an appearance on Steph’s Packed Lunch, Hayley revealed how Mark wooed her.
“I got introduced to him and he was like, ‘Do you know what I’ve got?’ And then he whips out his Toby Carvery Gold Card. It totally worked. I was trying to steal it. We had a really good laugh,” she said.
However, it wasn’t to be for the pair and they recently announced their split.
They were together for a year. Mark’s rep said: “I can confirm that Mark and Hayley have split. He won’t be making any further comment at this time.” A source also claimed: “Mark had a lovely time with Hayley and has a lot of respect for her but they wanted different things.
“She loves getting dressed up and going out to parties and showbiz events, whereas he prefers to stay at home. Mark felt there was too much of an age gap between them for long-term success. They are still friendly. Away from his job on telly and filming, Mark enjoys a quiet life and spending time with his son. He is still hopeful he can meet someone to settle down with one day.”
The Chase airs weekdays from 5pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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