Chase star Mark Labbett has broken his silence about his split with girlfriend Hayley Palmer – and revealed the heartbreaking reason.
The ITV quiz presenter, 59, ended his relationship with journalist Hayley Palmer just weeks after they celebrated their first anniversary with a meal at the Beefeater pub and a walk on the beach.
5
Mark Labbett breaks silence on split with TV presenter Hayley PalmerCredit: Rex
5
Chase star admits he quit – says ‘It’s me, I’m old’ Credit: Instagram
5
Quiz host said he has only fond memories of his time with Hayley – but is ‘happy’ to be single Credit: Rex
Mark has now revealed that the split was down to him and his age – saying “It’s me, I’m old”.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Mark opened up about the reasons for the split, saying: “She is [Hayley’s] lovely lady and I was very lucky to date her for a year, and like I said…that’s me, I’m getting old.”
“There hasn’t been one since Hayley, I’m not saying there won’t be another one. But I’m certainly not looking.”
Speaking about his single life, Mark said: “I joke that I’m a poor guy – a guy at a certain age who’s quite content to be in or out of a relationship – but likes to spend time alone.
READ MORE ABOUT MARK LABBETT
“It’s primordial, I think it goes all the way back to hunter-gatherers where a person would go alone for a long time.
“To be fair, it’s not just men, there are people who like their own company.
“I have a group of friends here where we go out, but at the same time, I’ve really loved this summer, just being quiet here, etc.”
Mark, who starred in the hit ITV quiz show for 15 years, first wooed Hayley with his Toby Carvery gold card.
But the TV favorite has now admitted he is “comfortable” not having a girlfriend, especially after spending many years on his own.
He shared: “It’s not that I miss anyone in particular, I was single for a long time not coincidentally when I was 29 a maths teacher, who knew it was pretty hard to attract a partner back then.
Chase star Mark “The Beast” Labbett takes Hayley Palmer to Beefeater to celebrate their first anniversary
“So I’m perfectly comfortable without a partner.”
Although Mark is enjoying the bachelor life, he has no shortage of offers – he says his DMs are flooded with messages from single women.
He laughed, “Yeah [single women are sliding in my DMs] but don’t ask me more than that.
“It’s the ultimate icebreaker at a party, because people approach 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. That might be great for other people in my position, but for me, I just go ‘oh no’, defense to the max.
“Ultimately, because it 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 it would make you famous. The job didn’t exist until 2009. I’m really glad I was a maths teacher for 15 years and had a proper job.
“I still think when they offer me a job, I think how many days I would really have to work for it.
“When I went to America and they offered me stupid money, all I thought was ‘you have to spend a lot of time in the classroom to make this much money’.”
Mark insisted that he is very “happy” with his relationship status and has no plans to dip his toes into a relationship anytime soon.
“I’m 59 now, I’ve come up with a pair of slippers and a comfy chair. Right now I’m in my PJs and I’m walking around the place,” he told us.
“I’ve settled down a bit. I’m an old man, I may not look like 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 saying…when you’re in the desert, you’re desperate for water.
“I’m in a situation where we go out on a Saturday night and I’ve got loads of people coming to talk to me about different things and you don’t feel any particular need, it’s just nice to talk to people.
“Sometimes you have to be realistic and choose appropriate or whatever.
“While every man is looking for pretty girls, I’m looking for smart girls, call me weird.”
Health concerns
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 opened up about living with type 2 and his work with diabetes treatment 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 the need for painful finger pricks.
New data from Dexcom, whose device Mark wears to stay on top of his diabetes, reveals the impact of technology on people with diabetes.
For example, 80 percent of people with diabetes felt empowered to achieve their dreams with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
Mark, who has lost ten stone in recent years, admitted that his years of sweet tooth had taken a long-term toll on his health.
“I was diagnosed back in 2016, and by 2018 I almost stopped suffering from diabetes. I have to admit, I have a habit of cheating and rewarding myself, that’s my sin,” he said.
“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs, I don’t gamble, I don’t have a single prostitute in my life. Everyone has a sin, and mine happened to be sugar, but I didn’t realize how bad it was.”
Speaking about his Dexcom CGM device, Mark said: “It’s a bit of a peace of mind, it beeps if your glucose gets too high and it also beeps if your glucose drops too low.
“It’s a great motivator to remember to take your medicine and to think about what you eat.”
Mark said he is now around 19.5 and wants to get to his target weight of 17.
He told us he’s conditioned himself to eat smaller meals, saying: “The times when you’d see me finish my main course and go ‘what’s next?’, I don’t eat anything like I used to. I get the odd day where the hunger is there but most of the time it’s not .”
Mark also talked about a new condition he’s been struggling with recently.
He shared: “I also got arthritis at the start of filming, it’s not bad but it’s in my right hip, I’m just noticing it, I’m losing strength getting up from a chair.
“I can’t do it without putting my hand down to give me a little push and I can’t lift the dog off the ground – I just don’t have the strength.”
5
Mark has lost 10th place in recent years Credit: ITV
5
Mark revealed how he deals with his type 2 diabetes on a daily basis. Credit: Rex
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education