Mark Labbett has spoken candidly about his dramatic weight loss, sharing the emotional reason he is determined to stay healthier for the future.
The professional quizzer, 59, became a household name as The Beast when he joined ITV’s The Chase at its launch in 2009. He is also father to seven-year-old Lawrence, whom he shares with his ex-wife Katie.
Although he has previously admitted sugar has been one of his biggest weaknesses, Mark has now lost an extraordinary 10 stone.
In a new interview, the TV favourite revealed he is now close to 17 stone — a striking change from his heaviest weight of 29 stone.
He told OK!: ‘I’ve got roughly the same physique as I had when I was playing rugby at 18 years old, but I’ve got less muscle so that might take it down even more.’
As he continues his health journey, Mark says he is feeling positive, with his young son Lawrence providing powerful motivation to keep going.
Mark Labbett has reflected on his impressive weight loss, revealing his emotional aim to see his son grow up and graduate from university
The professional quizzer, 59, joined ITV’s The Chase when it debuted in 2009 as The Beast, and is father to seven-year-old Lawrence, whom he shares with ex-wife Katie (pictured left in 2017)
The Chase icon also said that one of his life goals is as a mature father to be around to see his son graduate.
He explained: ‘He’ll be 21 when I’m, 71, 72, and that’s my mission. I’m just happy he’s a well adjusted young man.’
‘He’s inherited my maths ability, which I’m not upset about either,’ Mark joked.
It comes after Mark appeared on Good Morning Britain, where the star denied undergoing weight loss surgery.
The quiz champion admitted that he lost his appetite after having Covid, and now struggles to finish a meal.
Host Susanna Reid asked: ‘How did you do it?’ to which he quickly replied: ‘Not with a gastric band. I’m not too sure how.
‘I weighed myself the other day and I was just under 19 stone and at my heaviest, I was just a shade under 185 kilos – 29 stone.
‘Essentially I’ve been carrying a sack of coal on my back all these years.’
The ITV gameshow genius nicknamed ‘The Beast’, said he has dropped a staggering five trouser sizes by cutting down on sugar and carbs (pictured inn 2021)
The star previously revealed to The Sun that while he was tempted to go under the knife he instead decided to get fit and healthy the old fashioned way
The star previously revealed to The Sun that while he was tempted to go under the knife but instead decided to get fit and healthy the old fashioned way.
He said: ‘I’m not really trying to diet, I’m just being sensible, people say you’ve had the gastric sleeve or band, and I haven’t.
‘I was tempted by the gastric band but a good friend of mine who’s a GP, said my problem is sugar, I have a sweet tooth.
‘A gastric band is useless for me because sugar metabolises quite quickly, so I’ve done it the old fashion way by eating a bit less and I’ve tried to go to the gym.
A gastric band is a band that’s placed around the stomach, creating a small pouch towards the top which takes less food to fill.
He also revealed how he shed the pounds, saying he’s been ‘eating less and drinking more’ and focusing on his health.
Mark said he completely changed his diet due to battling diabetes and said that played a part of his weight loss.
‘I think the diabetes may have helped because I eat a lot less. I drink a lot more fluids,’ he said about his weight loss.’
The quizzer known as The Beast and Hayley Palmer split in May, just days after their one year anniversary, leaving the blonde in therapy for ‘betrayal trauma’
Hayley previously claimed Mark ended their romance because he didn’t want to divorce ex, Katie , 32, (pictured together) with whom he shares seven-year-old son Lawrence
It comes after Mark took a savage swipe at ex Hayley Palmer and claimed their relationship was ‘not serious’.
The quizzer and TV presenter, 43, split in May, just days after their one year anniversary, leaving the blonde in therapy for ‘betrayal trauma’.
Hayley previously claimed Mark ended their romance because he didn’t want to divorce ex, Katie, 32.
In a interview with The Sun the ITV star revealed that he would only ever consider ending his marriage when he met the right person.
Telling the publication: ‘It will happen if either Katie or I get with someone serious, then it might obviously be a different matter’.
Mark and nurse Katie split in 2020 after seven years of marriage and continue to co-parent their son, often sharing snaps of family outings to social media.
