The Chase's Mark Labbett Splits From Wife After Failed Open Marriage

The star of The Chase has revealed that he has split from his wife after their open marriage failed to work.

Mark Labbett, known as 'the Beast' to fans, said he and Katie, with whom he has a son, have decided to go their separate ways.

Katie, 28, has been dating design engineer Scott Bate, 30, for the past 18 months.

But speaking to The Sun, the 55-year-old claimed there was no cheating involved.

He said: "There was never any deceit on Katie's part but it's got to the point now where I realise it is better for us to go our separate ways and remain friendly."

Nurse Katie added: "I just want everyone to know what's what and that we are all happy."

PA

Mark said that when he found out about Katie's relationship he was upset but tried to make the relationship work.

However, he told the publication that during lockdown things started to get worse and his mental health began to suffer.

He said: "When Katie first came clean to me about her boyfriend, I'd had an inkling.

"But right from the start, my attitude was quite pragmatic - this was spilt milk, what could we do about the situation to make it OK?

"We had a family. We couldn't just throw that away lightly. There were other considerations.

"But Covid provided the perfect storm. My mental health suffered and the differences in our ages became magnified.

PA

"With Katie seeing Scott after lockdown, it's got to the point where I realise it's better for us to go our separate ways and remain friendly, without the stress factor of living together."

According to reports, Mark says he will be living in hotels until he can find himself a place to live closer to London.

And while the split is obviously upsetting for them both, Mark said he would never badmouth Katie and that the main thing was that their son was happy.

He said: "There was never any deceit on Katie's part, but obviously our son has mentioned Scott's name quite a few times.

"Each time he does it, Katie looks a bit sheepish.

"My only concern is that Scott's good with him, which he appears to be. We've started speaking and are beginning to chat more and more.

"We've spoken about some of the bigger things, and Katie knows what my red lines are, and I know hers. So this way, nobody is shocked or surprised."

Topics: UK News

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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