MARK LABBETT'S EX-GIRLFRIEND CLAIMS THE CHASE STAR 'DUMPED HER IN 3-MINUTE PHONE CALL'

The Chase star Mark Labbett’s has been labelled a ‘beast’ by his ex-girlfriend after he ‘dumped her over the phone’.

After a year of dating the TV star, last month Hayley Palmer announced she and Mark had ‘gone their separate ways’.

However she has now taken aim at Mark, 58, who is also known as ‘The Beast’ on the hit ITV quiz show.

Hayley, 42, has said Mark told her they were over due to the fact he didn’t want to divorce his ex-wife Katie.

‘He has really lived up to his name. The Beast has been a beast. It has come as a complete shock. I thought we were really happy,’ she said.

‘I’m heartbroken and blindsided. His behaviour has been beastly,’ the Sky entertainment reporter added.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Hayley said the break-up came just days after they’d spoken about their relationship and future together during an appearance on Loose Women.

She also said that Mark, who has a seven-year-old son with his ex, had also suggested they should move in together.

But last month, a few days after Hayley asked for an update on his divorce after splitting from Katie in 2020, he ended their relationship.

She said he told her: ‘I don’t think we should see each other anymore. You were right, I don’t want to get a divorce.’

Struggling to hold back tears, Hayley said the call had ‘started off as a normal conversation’ in which he mentioned her joining him and his son at a water park before he then dropped the bombshell revelation.

‘The shock of the way he said it was so brutally cold and not the Mark I know. I thought he was a gentle giant, so this was the complete opposite. He was as cold as ice,’ she said.

Nearly a month on, Hayley said she was ‘still in shock’ over the ‘hurtful’ end to her year-long relationship and she had wished they’d ended on ‘nicer terms’.

She called Mark’s decision to dump her over the phone as ‘disrespectful’ and a ‘low move’.

Hayley said she ‘really loved’ Mark and believed they had a future together, but is unsure whether he has rekindled his relationship with his ex, who Hayley claims wouldn’t let her meet their son.

Her comments came after Mark appeared to make a subtle dig at his ex after sharing a photo on social media eating at the same restaurant and what seemed to be the same table he and Hayley once frequented.

Indulging in a bowl of soup and bread at the Seasons in Rotherham, the star was all smiles as he declared his summer would be full of ‘protein and pain’.

‘My summer of protein and pain. Gym [tick] Nutrition [tick],’ he said. ‘Feels good to be The Beast.’

The former couple often shared photos enjoying a meal at the restaurant. 

Hayley announced their breakup in May with a post on her Instagram stories, telling her 38,000 followers: ‘It is with regret I announce that myself and Mark have gone our separate ways.

‘We had the best year together and I truly wish him all the best for the future,’ she added. ’Off I go to listen to Taylor Swift.’

Shortly before her announcement, Mark had said in an interview they had beenplanning to spend their one-year anniversary at the beach where they first made their relationship official. 

He told The Sun: ‘We found a bench in a peaceful spot by the beach and spent hours talking and getting to know each other, so we’ve decided to go back to celebrate our anniversary.’

While the former couple initially appeared to have split amicably, they have since unfollowed each other on Instagram. However, they both still have photos of them in happier times on their grid.

It comes after a source spoke to OK!, claiming the former couple called it quits because of their 16-year age gap. 

‘Mark had a lovely time with Hayley and has a lot of respect for her but they wanted different things. She loves getting dressed up and going out to parties and showbiz events, whereas he prefers to stay at home,’ the source said. 

‘Mark felt there was too much of an age gap between them for long-term success. They are still friendly. Away from his job on telly and filming, Mark enjoys a quiet life and spending time with his son. He is still hopeful he can meet someone to settle down with one day.’

The couple first met at the National Television Awards in the UK in October 2022 and began dating in May last year. However, it wasn’t reported until June when Hayley joined Mark in Los Angeles, where he was filming an American version of The Chase, as well as a season of Master Minds. 

The former couple were mostly long-distance throughout their relationship, with Mark living in Rotherham and Hayley in London.

Metro.co.uk has contacted representatives for Mark Labbett for comment.

The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV.

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2024-06-15T19:00:19Z dg43tfdfdgfd