The Chase star Mark Labbett has said he is stepping out of his “comfort zone” as he opens up on his move away from the ITV quiz show.
Mark appeared on The Chase when it first aired in 2009 and has been a fixture on the programme as a Chaser ever since.
In the coming weeks though fans are set to see him in a different light as he is due to appear on the latest series of Celebs Go Dating.
In an interview with Inside Soap magazine, Mark shared his excitement at taking on a new role after spending most of his broadcasting career on the quiz show: “It’s nice to do something different. Obviously the majority of my TV work is on a quiz show, so it was really interesting doing a reality show. It’s definitely out of my comfort zone!”
After Mark revealed that he is relishing the opportunity for a change in his career, it was over 25 years ago that he first stepped in front of the camera, when he made a couple of appearances on Mastermind.
In the following years he later went on to appear as a contestant in more and more of the country’s favourite quiz shows, including, Countdown and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
In 2009 he landed his biggest break in TV when was chosen to be one of the two Chasers, alongside Shaun Wallace. Since his first appearance on the show, he has affectionately been known as ‘The Beast’, in reference to his stature.
With Mark looking for love on the latest series of Celebs Go Dating, the Chaser has previously had two high-profile romances. The first of which came in 2014, when he tied the knot with his second cousin, Katie.
The pair reportedly met through mutual friends and originally had no idea that their fathers are first cousins. After going on to have a son together, they broke off their marriage in 2020.
Since then Mark has been romantically involved with TV presenter Hayley Palmer, but their relationship was short-lived and they split in 2024 after a year of dating.
The latest series of Celebs Go Dating will see Christine McGuinness, Kerry Katona, Donna Preston, Jon Lee, Olivia Hawkins, Louis Russell and Sam Prince all looking for love. As ever, the celebs will be able to call on the help and advice of the show’s resident dating experts.