The Chase’s Mark Labbett breaks silence on split from TV star girlfriend as he reveals heartbreaking reason he ended it
Mark insisted that he is very 'content' with his relationship status
THE Chase star Mark Labbett has broken his silence on his split from girlfriend Hayley Palmer – and revealed the heartbreaking reason.
The ITV quizmaster, 59, ended his relationship with journalist Hayley Palmer just weeks after they celebrated their one-year anniversary with a Beefeater pub meal and walk on the beach.
Mark has now revealed that the split was down to him and his age – saying “It’s me, I got old”.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Mark opened up about the reason for the split, saying: “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.”
Opening up about his single life, Mark said: “I joke I am a shed man – a guy of a certain age that’s quite content being in or out of a relationship – but loves to be spending time on their own.
“It’s primal, I think it goes all the way back to the hunter-gatherers where the man would go off a lot of time on their own.
“To be fair it’s not just men, there are people who actually like their own company.
“I’ve got a friendship group around here where we go out but at the same time, I’ve really loved this summer, just being quietly here etc.”
Mark, who has starred on the hit ITV quiz show for 15 years, first wooed Hayley with his Toby Carvery Gold Card.
But the TV favourite has now admitted he is “comfortable” not having a girlfriend, especially after spending many years single.
He shared: “It’s not that I miss anyone in particular, I was single not coincidentally for a long long time when I was a 29st maths teacher, who knew it was quite hard to attract a partner then.
“So I’m quite comfortable without a partner.”
Although Mark is enjoying his bachelor life, he is not short of offers – saying his DMs have been flooded with messages from single women.
He laughed: “Yes [single women are sliding in my DMs] but don’t ask me any more than that.
“It’s the ultimate icebreaker at a party, because people come up to you and whatever.
“It’s wonderful but at the same time there are certain warning signs.
“Things like ‘I’m your number one fan’, that’s never a good sign. It might be great for other people in my position but for me, I’m just going ‘oh no’, defences to a maximum.
“Ultimately because this happened to me late in life, this job didn’t exist until I was 43.
“You never set out to be a good quizzer because you thought you’d get fame and glory out of it. The job didn’t exist until 2009. I’m really glad for 15 years I was a maths teacher and I had a proper job.
“I still think when I get offered work, I think how many days real work would I have to do for that.
“When I went to America and they offered me silly money, all I was thinking was ‘you’d have to spend a fair bit of time in the classroom to earn this kind of cash’.”
Mark insisted that he is very “content” with his relationship status and has no plans to dip his toes in the dating pool any time soon.
“I’m 59 now, I’ve reached the sort of slippers and comfy chair kind of thing. Right now I’m in my PJs and pottering around the place,” he told us.
“I’m settled down a little bit. I am an old man, I might not look it but I am. I’m quite content doing my own thing.”
He also confirmed that he won’t be signing up to any celebrity dating apps like Raya, saying: “Definitely not a dating app! What’s the old phrase…when you’re in a dessert, you’re desperate for water.
“I’m in a situation where we went out on Saturday night and I got a load of people come over to talk to me on various things and you don’t feel any particular needs, it’s just nice to chat to people.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be realistic and go pick appropriately or whatever.
“While every man is looking for pretty girls, I’m looking for smart girls, call me strange.”
Health worries
Mark, best known as The Beast on The Chase, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2016, a turning point that inspired him to make significant lifestyle changes.
As part of World Diabetes Day , Mark has opened up about life with Type 2, and his work with diabetes management company, Dexcom.
More than 4.3 million people are living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK (according to Diabetes UK).
With Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices, people with diabetes can see their glucose readings in real-time without having to painfully prick their fingers.
New data from Dexcom, whose device Mark wears to help stay on top of his diabetes, reveals the impact technology has on people with diabetes.
For example, 80 per cent of people with diabetes felt empowered to pursue their dreams with their continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
Mark, who has shed ten stone in recent years, admitted years of having a sweet tooth impacted his health long-term.
“I was diagnosed back in 2016 and by 2018 I almost got un-diabetic. I must confess, I have a habit to cheat and reward myself, it’s my sin,” he said.
“I don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, don’t gamble, don’t have any loose women in my life. Everyone’s got a sin and mine happens to be sugar but I didn’t realise how bad.”
Speaking about his Dexcom CGM device, Mark said: “It’s a bit of peace of mind, it beeps if your glucose levels get too high and also beeps if your glucose level gets too low.
“It’s a great motivator, for remembering to take your medication and for thinking about what you eat.”
Mark said he is around 19.5st now and is aiming to get to his goal weight of 17st.
He told us that he’s conditioned himself to eat smaller meals, saying: “The era when you’d see me finish a main course and go ‘what’s next?’, I eat nothing what I used to. I get the odd day when the hunger is there, but most of the time it isn’t.”
Mark also opened up about a new condition has he has recently been struggling with.
He shared: “I’ve also got early on-set arthritis, it’s not bad but it’s in my right hip, I only notice it, I’ve got a loss of power from getting up from a chair.
“I can’t do it without putting my arm down to give me a tiny little boost and I can’t pick up the dog from the ground – I just don’t have the strength.”
