Mark “The Beast” Labbett has a lot to feel proud of as he approaches his 60th birthday. He’s a great dad, the world’s most successful Chaser, and he’s not far off celebrating losing half his body weight.
The 59-year-old quizzer, who joined ITV’s The Chase for its debut in 2009, has been on a life-changing health transformation in recent years after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. His downfall, he tells us, is “sugar”, but now he’s a dad to seven-year-old Lawrence, from his marriage to ex-wife Katie Labbett, he’s more determined than ever to make sure he stays on a healthy path.
You’ve been on The Chase for 26 years now. Why do you still love it?
I said once that pride and ego are the whips that drive me. I like being regarded as pretty clever, I like possibly being the best in the world at what I do, and that’s what drives me. I never want to be just making up the numbers.
It definitely sounds like your dream job...
I’m literally the world’s most experienced Chaser. I’m the only one who’s done it in three different countries. I keep looking around when I’m on set and thinking, “They’re paying me to do this!” I’m in Hollywood, working for a prime-time American show. I’ve just been introduced to David Hasselhoff, who’s wandered in to steal some donuts from our craft services table. How showbiz is that? Not bad for a fat old maths teacher.
You’ve lost a lot of weight in recent years…
I’ve been a yo-yo dieter and my heaviest was about 29st, then I got fit and was down to about 25st. But I’ve always actually been surprisingly fit. Even at 25st I could do a proper pumping hour on the cross trainer.
How much do you weigh now?
I’ve been meaning to go and get a set of bathroom scales. My guess is about 18st, maybe in the 17s. 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.
What do you think when you see yourself on old episodes of The Chase?
Sometimes I look and go, “Blimey, is that me?” But the one thing about being a very big person, and especially a very big man with a big frame, is you can carry a lot of weight without really noticing it. The trouble is, I had a tonne of visceral fat, which isn’t good for you at all, and that’s why I was so heavy but relatively slim for my height and build. Normally, if you see a 30st man they’re quite obviously 30st, but I was carrying it internally.
You started wearing a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring Patch last year. Has it helped?
Yes. I’d lost a bit of weight before then, but last winter I had my first real attack of arthritis and it was a shock to the system because up to that point you think you’re immortal. Then suddenly, when you struggle to walk up stairs, you realise you’re not. I’d been gradually letting my glucose levels slide and enj...
The 59-year-old quizzer, who joined ITV’s The Chase for its debut in 2009, has been on a life-changing health transformation in recent years after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. His downfall, he tells us, is “sugar”, but now he’s a dad to seven-year-old Lawrence, from his marriage to ex-wife Katie Labbett, he’s more determined than ever to make sure he stays on a healthy path.
You’ve been on The Chase for 26 years now. Why do you still love it?
I said once that pride and ego are the whips that drive me. I like being regarded as pretty clever, I like possibly being the best in the world at what I do, and that’s what drives me. I never want to be just making up the numbers.
It definitely sounds like your dream job...
I’m literally the world’s most experienced Chaser. I’m the only one who’s done it in three different countries. I keep looking around when I’m on set and thinking, “They’re paying me to do this!” I’m in Hollywood, working for a prime-time American show. I’ve just been introduced to David Hasselhoff, who’s wandered in to steal some donuts from our craft services table. How showbiz is that? Not bad for a fat old maths teacher.
You’ve lost a lot of weight in recent years…
I’ve been a yo-yo dieter and my heaviest was about 29st, then I got fit and was down to about 25st. But I’ve always actually been surprisingly fit. Even at 25st I could do a proper pumping hour on the cross trainer.
How much do you weigh now?
I’ve been meaning to go and get a set of bathroom scales. My guess is about 18st, maybe in the 17s. 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.
What do you think when you see yourself on old episodes of The Chase?
Sometimes I look and go, “Blimey, is that me?” But the one thing about being a very big person, and especially a very big man with a big frame, is you can carry a lot of weight without really noticing it. The trouble is, I had a tonne of visceral fat, which isn’t good for you at all, and that’s why I was so heavy but relatively slim for my height and build. Normally, if you see a 30st man they’re quite obviously 30st, but I was carrying it internally.
You started wearing a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring Patch last year. Has it helped?
Yes. I’d lost a bit of weight before then, but last winter I had my first real attack of arthritis and it was a shock to the system because up to that point you think you’re immortal. Then suddenly, when you struggle to walk up stairs, you realise you’re not. I’d been gradually letting my glucose levels slide and enj...
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New UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 10, 2025