Mark Labbett has opened up about his romance with new girlfriend Hayley Palmer and revealed the unique way he wooed her.
The Chase star, 57, known as The Beast on the popular ITV game show, met TV presenter Hayley, 41, at the 2022 National Television Awards and the pair instantly hit it off, thanks to Mark's impressive Toby Carvery Gold Card.
Recalling her initial meeting with The Beast, Hayley revealed he wasted no time in pulling out his platinum gold card for the eatery chain in a bid to win her affections.
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“I got introduced to him and he was like, ‘Do you know what I’ve got?’. And then he whips out his Toby Carvery Gold Card," the 41 year old explained.
Mark's celebrity status allowed him to bag himself a Toby Carvery Gold Card, with famous faces including Danny Dyer and Sam Quek also being in possession of one.
It's unclear what the cardholders are entitled to, but it has previously been claimed that they can enjoy a free roast dinner when they visit any Toby Carvery branch.
Mark got more than a free meal with his gold card however, as it seems it played a vital role in helping him to win over girlfriend Hayley.
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“I was actually really impressed. I thought, ‘I haven’t seen this before'," Hayley told The Sun.
The Beast, who has starred on The Chase since 2009, decided to whip his Toby Carvery Gold Card out when he realised things were going well between him and Hayley at the awards bash last year.
“I thought, ‘We’re getting on quite well here — let’s get the big guns out'," the 57-year-old recalled.
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Mark and Hayley's romance has continued to go from strength to strength since meeting last October, with Hayley even jetting out to the US alongside her new beau ,while he filmed Master Minds for the Game Show Network in Los Angeles.
Mark's new romance with Hayley comes after he split from his ex-wife Katie, who was also his second-cousin, in 2020.
The pair met on social media in 2010 and went on to tie the knot in 2014. Mark and Katie, who is 27 years his junior, share a son, Lawrence, six, who they now amicably co-parent.
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The Chase star spoke about the end of his marriage last year, saying Covid-19 lockdowns, the pair's age gap and an open marriage all took their toll eventually on his relationship.
He said: "I’m single now. We are separated but we get on really well, we co-parent. I promised to look after her and I promised to look after my kid."
Featured Image Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images/Twitter/SamanthaQuekTopics: The Chase, Food And Drink, Sex and Relationships