08 November 2023 , 15:01
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The Chase star Mark Labbett has revealed he's a "very, very lucky man" to be dating Hayley Palmer, admitting that he often questions if their fairytale romance is for real.
The 58-year-old, best known as the Beast on the ITV gameshow, coupled up with the GB News presenter at the beginning of this year after the two met at the National Television Awards 2022.
For their first date, they enjoyed a performance of Dirty Dancing: The Musical after Hayley asked Mark if he'd like to accompany her to the West End show. The two are still going strong as they approach their first anniversary - despite their 16-year age gap and much to the astonishment of the retired mathematics teacher.
Mark Labbett has gushed over his romance with Hayley Palmer (Instagram)"I mean, look at her," he gushed to the Sun. "I keep finding myself going, 'Hang on, we're actually going out?'" The professional quizzer went to call himself a "a very, very lucky man," having had a massive lifestyle and career change over the past couple of decades.
"15 years ago I was a maths teacher, I was 29st," he reveals. Mark showed off his incredible 10 stone weight loss back in September at the Southampton International Boat Show, where he was joined by Hayley for a fun day of marine spectacles at the annual festival.
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Mark Labbett with ex wife Katie (PA)
Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer have been dating since early 2023 (Splash News / SplashNews.com)The Tiverton native spends most of his time in Moorgate, Rotherham, where his five-year-old son Laurence lives with his ex-wife. He married Katie at the Hilton Avisford Park in West Sussex 2013, when Mark was 48 and the nurse was just 22 – but their marriage ended in divorce.
He currently has no immediate plans to move to London, where Hayley is based, but insists that any relocation to the UK capital would involve the 42-year-old. "I would unashamedly say that if I was to move to London it would be with a strong view to Hayley moving in with me," he revealed. "There's no way I would check out a flat without her being there with me."
Hayley appeared open to the idea, too, on the condition that they could have separation washing facilities. "If we did move in together, there would be two bathrooms!," she insisted.
Mark and Hayley were guests on Loose Women in August, where Mark dismissed rumours that he had undergone gastric band surgery. "I think one of the pluses of having what may or may not have been Covid a few times is that I just lost my appetite," he told the panel. "My appetite is nothing like it once was. Get one of your doctors to check me for a gastric band scar. They won't find it!"
Mark has also said that the weight loss has given him a huge amount of energy, so much so, that he'd even consider competing on Strictly Come Dancing in the future. "Now I'm a lot lighter and fitter I'd love to do it, but obviously, that's up to the powers that be," he said, before Hayley jumped in to support the idea.