Mark Labbett has reportedly found love with a TV presenter who is several years younger than himself. Also known as 'The Beast' on the ITV quiz show The Chase, the 57 year old ended his seven year marriage in 2020, but recently revealed he has found love again.
He is reportedly dating Hayley Palmer, who fronts music shows At Home With Hayley and Saturday Night With Hayley Palmer, reports The Daily Mirror. A source close to the new couple stated: "It is very early days but Mark and Hayley are having a really good time together. They have been friends for some time and recently things developed into something more."
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Speaking to The Sun, the source added that the pair are having "a lot of fun together" and it's become clear to Mark's friend that he is smitten. The couple were seen together in public on Tuesday, May 16, and were soaking up the sun on the beach in Southsea, Portsmouth.
The source continued: "Mark and Hayley have kept things low key but this week they headed out on a day-date. The beach was busy and there were lots of people around but they both felt comfortable with people seeing them as a couple, not just friends."
They added that things are "very new" for Mark and Hayley but they feel they have a connection. Prior to his romance with Hayley, Mark was previously married to his second cousin Katie.
The pair tied the knot in October 2014, and Katie, who is 27 years younger than Mark, gave birth to their son Lawrence, who is now five. The couple ended things in 2020, explaining their age gap and Covid-19 lockdowns as reasons for going their separate ways after seven years of wedded bliss.
The former couple first met in 2010 via Facebook, and Katie claimed at the time she had no idea her future husband was a TV star.
She said: "I had never heard of Mark, or watched The Chase, but my gran mentioned him so I was intrigued. The pair hit it off in 2012, after Mark invited Katie to watch a celebrity Chase special being filmed and going out for drinks.
However, Mark and Katie’s dads are first cousins, which makes the former couple second cousins, but both have always maintained they had no idea they were related until after their fairytale castle wedding. Mark previously stated during a a joint chat with the Loose Women ladies: "It wasn't something we were aware of at the time - it was one of those things that happened."
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