The Chase legend Mark ‘the Beast’ Labbett has broken up with girlfriend Hayley Palmer after one year together.
Professional quizzer Mark,58, was said to be ‘smitten’ with Sky entertainment presenter Hayley, 42, in May last year, after the two were seen out and about.
But just a year on, their whirlwind romance has come to an abrupt end as Hayley shared the devastating update to her Instagram followers on Saturday.
‘It is with regret I announce that myself and Mark have gone our separate ways,’ she wrote in the post set to a black backdrop.
‘We had the best year together, and I truly wish him all the very best for the future.’
‘Off I got to listen to Taylor Swift,’ she ended the statement with a nod to the queen of break-up songs.
The pair seemed as though they were going strong as recently as last week when they celebrated their first anniversary.
Hayley posted sweet photos of the two smiling on the beach where they first decided to give their relationship a go.
Earlier this month the loved-up twosome appeared on Loose Women to mark the first year of their happy, albeit long-distance, relationship.
As Mark said on the show, the couple had to sync up their diaries due to him being in Sheffield and her living in Chelsea.
‘We get excited when we see each other which is really nice,’ Hayley added.
Hayley shared that Mark should give ladies ‘hope’ they’ll meet a good person as he is such a ‘nice, genuine guy’ and ‘the sweetest person’.
Although Hayley previously admitted she does not watch The Chase, last year she explained she watched Beat the Chase and immediately saw Mark’s appeal.
‘I did come to see Beat the Chasers and watched and was impressed. He got everything right and I was just like, “Wow, that’s really sexy”,’ she recalled.
Addressing their age gap, Mark had once said: ‘Obviously, I’m a little bit older than her, but I think it depends on who you’re with. I’d argue I’m a very childish 57.’
In 2020, Mark announced his divorce from ex-wife Katie – 27 years his junior – after seven years together. The former couple share a son, Lawrence, together.
At the time Mark blamed their age gap and lockdown for putting a strain on their marriage.
The TV personality will mark 15 years on The Chase at the end of June, with a 15th-anniversary special of the ITV quiz show set to come out this summer.
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