The Chase star Mark Labbett’s ex-wife completely unrecognisable as they reunite five months after split from girlfriend
MARK Labbett’s ex-wife looked completely unrecognisable as she reunited with The Chase star five months after his split from his girlfriend.
The TV quizzer, 59, flashed a giant grin as he posed for a selfie with his former partner Katie, 31, today, who he is still legally married to.
Taking to his Instagram Story, Mark wore a grey sweater and a black coat while meeting up with glamorous Katie for a day out with their seven-year-old son, Lawrence.
Katie, his second cousin, pouted for the camera and wore her glossy platinum locks over one shoulder while donning a black-and-white polo neck.
The pair, who keep their only child out of the limelight, had paid a visit to the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden for The Making of Harry Potter tour.
Mark wrote in his caption: “Co-parenting in London part one #wbtourlondon. Little Monster loved the Forbidden Forest.”
Mark and Katie confirmed their separation in 2020 after spending seven years wed — blaming their 27-year age gap and life in the Covid-19 lockdown for their troubles.
Mark decided to leave his wife so she could move on with her lover, Scott, after their open marriage failed.
Nurse Kate and Mark cited his workload and worldwide travel as triggers behind their split.
However, Mark later admitted his wife’s ongoing relationship with Scott had taken its toll despite the couple’s initial attempts to have an open marriage.
The star first met Katie via Facebook in 2010.
She said: “I had never heard of Mark, or watched The Chase, but my gran mentioned him so I was intrigued.”
They got together in 2012, going for drinks on their first date after Mark invited her to watch a celebrity Chase special. They got engaged in October the next year.
Breaking his silence
Just this week, Mark broke his silence on his separation from TV presenter Hayley Palmer.
The ITV star ended his relationship with Hayley just weeks after they celebrated their one-year anniversary with a Beefeater pub meal and walk on the beach.
Jilted Hayley claimed the 6ft 7in quizzer, nicknamed The Beast, said he was ending their year-long romance because he did not want to divorce his ex Katie.
But Mark 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.
Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer relationship timeline
May 16, 2023 – The pair went on their first date to a Toby Carvery in Southsea, Portsmouth.
December 24, 2023 – The couple decided to record a podcast together after being in a relationship for several months. They planned to cover everything from Mark wooing Hayley with his Toby Carvery card to dating in the public eye, shopping trips, their big rule of not sharing chips and hilarious inside jokes.
May 25, 2024 – Mark broke up with Hayley over the phone, saying he wasn’t ready to finalise his divorce with his ex wife Katie.
“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.”