The Chase quizzer Mark Labbett has announced he’s leaving his wife Katie after admitting their open marriage has failed.
The couple has confirmed their separation after five years of marriage.
Mark, who is also known as The Beast on the ITV quiz show, and nurse Katie blame their 27-year age gap and life in lockdown for their split.
Speaking to The Sun, Mark, 55, 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.”
Katie, 28, who has been dating 30-year-old senior design engineer Scott Bate for 18 months, added: “I just want everyone to know what’s what and that we are all happy.”
The Chase’s Mark Labbett has announced he’s leaving his wife Katie after admitting their open marriage failed (Image: GETTY)
This is the first time Mark and Katie, who are parents to their three-year-old son, have opened up about their unusual arrangement in public.
ITV star Mark told the publication: “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.”
The couple are parents to a three year old son (Image: Tom Dymond/REX/Shutterstock)
Mark, who is one of the six Chasers on ITV quiz show The Chase, is planning on moving out of the couple’s home in Herefordshire next month.
The TV personality has lost five stone since the beginning of lockdown and plans to spend time living in hotels while he finds himself a new home closer to London.
Mark met Katie via Facebook back in 2010 and the pair got married four years later, in October 2014, at Arundel Cathedral in West Sussex.
Mark met Katie, his second cousin, via Facebook in 2010 (Image: Getty)
The couple are second cousins, but both claim they weren’t aware of this until after they tied the knot.
When asked about it on Loose Women, Mark said: “It wasn’t something we were aware of at the time – it was one of those things that happened.”
Mark and Katie briefly split in April of last year after it was claimed she had cheated on him.
However, just a few months later, in September 2019, the couple were back together.
Mark explained at the time they were “working through a rough patch”.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
