Mark Labbett, Anne Hegerty and Darragh Ennis on The Chase
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All The Chase stars’ current partners – from Mark Labbett’s new romance to Darragh Ennis’ marriage to college sweetheart

What you need to know about The Chase stars' love lives

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The Chase star Mark Labbett has embarked on a new romance in the past year – but which other faves from the ITV quiz show have partners, or are married and have a husband or wife?

Here is the answer to any questions you may have about The Chase stars’ love lives…

Mark Labbett speaks
Mark has recently found love (Credit: The Chase YouTube)

Mark Labbett

Dad-of-one Mark married his second cousin ex Katie – 27 years younger than ‘The Beast’ – in 2014. They share son Lawrence together but split in 2020.

The former couple reportedly tried to make a go of an open relationship, but that failed. Mark told The Sun in August 2020: “There was never any deceit on Katie’s part but it’s got to the point now where I realise it is better for us to go our separate ways and remain friendly.”

Since then, Mark, 58, indicated at one point he was too busy for a relationship. However, in 2023, Mark revealed he had a new girlfriend in 41-year-old Hayley Palmer. The pair are said to have first met at the National Television Awards in October 2022.

Speaking to The Sun in summer 2023, Hayley opened up about her relationship with Mark – who is 16 years her senior. She said: “He’s the sweetest, kindest person, he really is. He’s such a gentleman. It’s still early days but we are both really happy. It’s been such a lovely whirlwind.”

Asked if he’s a bit of a Beast in the bedroom, Hayley blushed: “That is really cheeky. So no comment to that one. But he’s really, really romantic and he treats me so well. He’s a big teddy bear. He gives the best cuddles.”

Shaun Wallace smiles on The Chase
Quiz expert Shaun Wallace smiles (Credit: The Chase YouTube)

Shaun Wallace

Shaun, 63, recently confirmed he does have a partner.

Additionally, Shaun joked about his relationship status during an appearance on Loose Women in October 2022 amid online claims to the contrary.

He said at the time: “I mean I’ve never been married. Although, according to Wikipedia I was married to a woman called Martha for about 30 years!”

Shaun also said: “Marriage is not for everybody but I think as far as marriage is concerned, it’s a wonderful institution that still should be part of our everyday society. But, you don’t have to get married in order to be in a loving, committed and honest relationship.”

Anne Hegerty raises an eyebrow
The Chase star Anne Hegerty: ‘Who is Jake Heston?’ (Credit: The Chase YouTube)

Anne Hegerty

‘The Governess’ star Anne, 65, is also believed to be unmarried. Similarly to Shaun, it seems Anne was also attributed a spouse never encountered in real life by Wikipedia. She previously joked while starring on I’m A Celebrity in 2018.

“[My Wikipedia page] still claims I’m married to someone called Jake Heston! I seriously don’t know who he is,” Anne told fellow famous campmates.

I think the problem is I find it really difficult to fall in love with real people.

And when speaking with The Guardian in 2021, Anne addressed how she feels about relationships as part of a wider discussion about living with autism.

She said at the time: “I think the problem is I find it really difficult to fall in love with real people. I’ve thought: am I in love with this guy? And then we kind of get together and I think: damn it, no, oh dear.”

Paul Sinha

Quizzer Paul Sinha – aka ‘The Sinnerman’ – married his husband Oliver Levy in December 2019 – and they made their telly debut as a Gogglebox duo in 2022.

Paul previously hailed Oliver’s calmness during an appearance on Loose Women a couple of months before they popped on Channel 4. The 53-year-old also revealed the circumstances behind his marriage proposal.

Paul said at the time: “I’m not a hugely romantic person. I never thought I was going to get married. I just got drunk at Christmas and had a drunken epiphany.”

The stand up added: “I realised I wanted him to be officially part of the family rather than unofficially part of the family. That was the main driving force.”

Jenny Ryan looks forlorn
Is Jenny Ryan in a relationship? (Credit: The Chase YouTube)

Jenny Ryan

‘The Vixen’ is another Chaser who keeps details of her love life under wraps. According to reports, the 42-year-old tweeted about a boyfriend at one point during 2016.

However, whether Jenny is currently in a relationship or not is not clear.

Darragh Ennis smiles
Darragh Ennis is a dad (Credit: The Chase YouTube)

Darragh Ennis

‘The Menace’ clarified he has a partner to RSVP Live in 2021. Darragh also detailed how he and his wife met while they were at university.

Darragh, who is a dad of two and lives in Oxford, said at the time: “We’re both Irish. We met in Maynooth University, we did our degrees and PhDs there. We were in labs down the hall from each other and she’s from Kildare.”

Read more: The Chase star Mark Labbett gives rare insight into relationship with ex Katie amid his ‘new romance’

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Robert Leigh
Freelance writer