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Mark Labbett

{{Short description|English television personality}}

{{Redirect|Beastie Boy|the hip hop group|Beastie Boys}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Mark Labbett

| image = MarkLabbettTheChase.jpg

| caption = Labbett on The Chase USA in 2014

| birth_name = Mark Andrew Labbett

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|8|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tiverton, Devon, England

| other_names = "The Beast"

| occupation = Television personality

| alma_mater = Exeter College, Oxford (BA)

University of Exeter (PGCE)

| years_active = 1999–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Katie Labbett|2014|2020|end=separated}}

| children = 1

| credits = The Chase (2009–present)
The Chase USA (2013–2015, 2021–2022)
The Chase Australia (2016–2020, 2022–present) Master Minds, 2022–present

| height_m = 1.98

| website = {{URL|marklabbett.co.uk}}

}}

Mark Andrew Labbett{{Cite tweet |user= MarkLabbett | author= Labbett, Mark| number= 963852096113119234| title=In that case, for posterity, Mark Andrew Labbett :) |date= 14 February 2018| access-date=14 February 2018}} (born 15 August 1965), also known by his professional nickname "The Beast", is an English professional quizzer and television personality. Since 2009 he has been one of the "chasers" on the ITV game show The Chase.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/mark-the-beast-labbett-joins-abc-the-chase-1234760496/|title=Mark 'The Beast' Labbett Joins ABC's The Chase|work=Deadline Hollywood|author=Peter White|date=May 19, 2021|access-date=May 19, 2021}}

He previously appeared between 2013 and 2015 on GSN's American version as their sole chaser; between 2016 and 2020 as one of six chasers on the Australian version; and as one of four chasers in the second season of ABC's American revival and from late February 2022 rejoined the Australian version of the show.{{cite web|url=https://7news.com.au/the-morning-show/story-info/the-beast-mark-labbett-returns-to-the-chase-australia-following-amazing-weight-loss-transformation-c-5823042|title='The Beast' Mark Labbett returns to The Chase Australia following amazing weight-loss transformation|work=Seven News|author=Michael Patrick|date=February 24, 2022|access-date=February 24, 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/television/the-chase-australias-newest-uk-recruit-mark-labbett-is-already-doing-a-number-on-rivals-at-nine/story-fni0cc2c-1227626548676| title=The Chase Australia's newest UK recruit Mark Labbett is already doing a number on rivals at Nine| work=The Sunday Telegraph | place= Australia|first=Holly|last=Byrnes|date=29 November 2015|access-date=29 November 2015}}{{Cite tweet|number=1489618451777740802|user=MarkLabbett|title=Not been re-signed, That's life. Grateful for the opportunity to work with (and compare myself to) the GOATS|author=Mark Labbett}}

Labbett has appeared as a contestant on several other television quiz shows and is a regular in quizzing competitions.

Early life

Mark Andrew Labbett was born on 15 August 1965 in Tiverton, Devon and attended Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury.{{cite news |url =https://www.wiltshirelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/who-mark-labbett-chase-stars-6081611|date =2021-10-22|title =Who is Mark Labbett? The Chase star's journey from Salisbury school pupil to TV star|first =Liam |last =Trim}}

Labbett obtained a Master of Arts degree in mathematics from Exeter College, Oxford, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in secondary education from the University of Exeter and legal CPE and LPC qualifications from the University of Glamorgan (now the University of South Wales).{{cite web |url=http://www.marklabbett.co.uk/biography.html |title=Biography |work=Mark "The Beast" Labbett |access-date=23 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902195528/http://marklabbett.co.uk/biography.html |archive-date=2 September 2012 }}

Career

= Teaching =

Labbett was a mathematics and physical education supply teacher.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/peoplesquiz/about/mark_labett.shtml |title=The People's Quiz 2007 |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113062346/http://www.bbc.co.uk/peoplesquiz/about/mark_labett.shtml |archive-date=13 January 2008 |date=April 2007 |access-date= 23 June 2012}}

= Quizzing =

Labbett became interested in quizzing when working at Butlins holiday camp, where he supplemented his income with winnings from the quiz machines.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2007/jan/27/consumernews.moneysupplement|title=Lucky break? Don't leave it to chance|last=Papworth|first=Jill|date=27 January 2007|work=The Guardian|access-date=23 June 2012}} His pub quiz team won a weekend in Paris in April 2001 after competing in the national competition Jumbo Quiz.{{cite news |first=Will |last=Smale|title=PUB QUIZ TEAM IS GIVEN PRIZE GRILLING |work=South Wales Echo |date=17 April 2001 |publisher=Western Mail and Echo Ltd |page=16}}

Labbett appeared on Mastermind in 1999, where his specialist subject was the Olympic Games.{{cite news |first=Clare |last=Hutchinson |work=The Western Mail |date=13 October 2009 |title='Come on, Paxman, if you think you're hard enough...' says wicked Humphrys ; Questions at 20 paces in quiz duel – and we'll even make it easy for you Humphrys |publisher=Western Mail and Echo Ltd |page=14}} He appeared again on Mastermind in 2000, with the animated television show The Simpsons as his specialist subject.{{cite news |first=Karen |last=Price |title=Mastermind Accused of Selling Out in Ratings Fight |work=Western Mail |date=6 August 2004 |page=10 |publisher=Western Mail and Echo Ltd |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/2004/08/06/mastermind-accused-of-selling-out-in-ratings-fight-91466-14502345/2/ }}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Also in 2000, he competed on Countdown, narrowly losing his first game on a crucial conundrum.{{cite web|url=http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_2771|title=Episode 2771 – Countdown}} In 2001, he appeared on Stake Out, where he was the second contestant eliminated during the Face Off round. In 2003, he appeared on Grand Slam, where he lost against Clive Spate in his first match.{{Cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com:80/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/grandslam/review_03.html|title=Match Review – Game 01 – Channel 4 – Grand Slam|publisher=Channel 4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040831151925/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/grandslam/review_03.html|archive-date=31 August 2004|url-status=dead|access-date=10 December 2017}}

In 2004, he won £500 on the Channel 5 show BrainTeaser, and a year later he won £1,500 on BBC One's SUDO-Q. He appeared on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? twice, firstly on fastest finger first in Series 18 broadcast on 5 November 2005. He returned the following series (19) and made the hot seat, winning £32,000 across two episodes in April 2006. In 2005, he also won £32,000 on Millionaire Live, a live version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? that toured seaside resorts throughout the summer.{{cite news |first= John Paul |last=Hedge |title=Winners walk off with two cars and £16k |work=Herald Express |location=Torquay |date=5 September 2005 |publisher=Herald Express (Torquay) |page=4}}

As captain, he led the Welsh quiz team to fifth place in the 2006 European Quizzing Championships.

Labbett's team, the Rugby Boys, won BBC Four's Only Connect in 2009.{{cite news |title=NEWSBRIEF |work=South Wales Echo |date=1 September 2009 |page=6 |publisher=Western Mail and Echo Ltd}} Other television appearances include The National Lottery People's Quiz (2007) where he came second in the grand final,{{cite news |first=Olav |last=Bjortomt |author-link=Olav Bjortomt |title=Your starter for £200,000 (subscription required) |date=23 June 2007 |work=The Times (The Knowledge) |page=33 |publisher=Times Newspapers Limited |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/your-starter-for-pound200000-75phc2zpx57}} University Challenge (1996-7) where he reached the quarter-finals as captain of the Glamorgan University team,{{cite web|url=https://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uc97.html|title=University Challenge 1997|publisher=blanchflower.org}} and Are You an Egghead?

In 2012, Labbett was ranked 89th in the World Quizzing Championships.{{cite web|url=http://www.worldquizzing.com/results/|title=Results|work=worldquizzing.com|access-date=2 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607192638/http://www.worldquizzing.com/results/|archive-date=7 June 2012|url-status=dead}}

In 2016, Labbett took part in the three-part ITV series Sugar Free Farm, when he revealed he has false teeth, as a result of eating too much sugar.{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week4/sugar-free-farm|title=Sugar Free Farm Episode 1}}{{Cite news|url=http://tv.bt.com/tv/tv-news/the-chases-mark-labbett-reveals-he-wears-false-teeth-due-to-daily-10-bar-chocolate-habit-11364037330556|title=The Chase's Mark Labbett reveals he wears false teeth due to daily 10 bar chocolate habit|newspaper=BT.com|access-date=19 December 2016}} That same year, it was announced that he would become a producer for Hull-based wrestling promotion New Generation Wrestling (NGW).{{Cite web|url=http://www.ngwuk.com/news/Labbett/|title=NGW: 'The Beast' comes to NGW|website=ngwuk.com|access-date=2 January 2018}}

== ''The Chase'' ==

{{See also|The Chase (British game show)|The Chase (American game show)|The Chase Australia}}

Labbett is one of the "chasers" in the ITV teatime quiz The Chase, first broadcast in 2009 and hosted by Bradley Walsh. In the show, his nickname is "the Beast",{{cite news|url=http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Quiz-beast-appearance/story-16062113-detail/story.html|title=Quiz beast appearance|date=12 May 2012|work=Bristol Evening Post|page=19|publisher=Bristol United Press}} a two-pronged nickname referencing both his stature and his surname (Labbett sounds like the French la bête, meaning "the beast").

In August 2013, Labbett appeared as the only chaser on the American version of The Chase on Game Show Network. He also appeared as one of the seven chasers on the Australian version of The Chase on the Seven Network, alongside fellow UK chasers Anne Hegerty and Shaun Wallace. His weakest subjects are horse racing and soap operas.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMobd0rLMZc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/RMobd0rLMZc |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=The Chase's Beast Reveals His Quiz Knowledge Achilles Heel|work=Lorraine|author=Lorraine|date=23 January 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} He noted that the American version posed far more difficulties for him, as American game shows typically allow far more competent contestants than British or Australian shows.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/04/james-holzhauer-jeopardy-1-million-win-or-lose/587878/|title=James Holzhauer Explains the Strategy Behind His Jeopardy Winning Streak|last=Pinsker|first=Joe|work=The Atlantic|date=April 24, 2019|access-date=April 24, 2019|quote=I've got to give Jeopardy! immense credit, and The Chase U.S.A. In Britain or Australia, James would not have made it onto television, because he's just too damn good. They would never have him on.}}

Labbett joined ABC's US revival of The Chase for its second season. Although ABC had considered adding Labbett to the show with its first season,{{cite web |url=https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2021/06/06/the-chase-season-2-spoilers-vin-rubino-interview-mark-labbett/ |access-date=6 February 2022 |date=6 June 2021 |last=Roffman |first=Marisa |title=THE CHASE EP Vincent Rubino on Season 2 Changes, Adding Mark Labbett, and More |website=Give Me My Remote}} his contract was not renewed for the third.

Personal life

Labbett moved to Caldicot, Monmouthshire, in 1998 and then to nearby Newport in 2003 before moving to Moorgate, Rotherham, in 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/quiz-sensation-successfully-chases-dream-6466365 |title=The Chase quiz sensation Mark 'The Beast' Labbett cracks America |last= Gaskell |first=Simon |date=5 January 2014 |website=Wales Online |access-date=2 February 2016}}{{cite news |author= |title=Chase's Beast moves to South Yorkshire |url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/chase-s-beast-moves-to-south-yorkshire-1-5268888 |newspaper=The Star |location=Sheffield, UK |date=2 January 2013 |access-date=2 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028234446/http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/chase-s-beast-moves-to-south-yorkshire-1-5268888 |archive-date=28 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}

Labbett married his second cousin Katie in 2014, who is 27 years his junior.{{cite news |last=Yaqoob |first=Janine |date=11 October 2014 |title=The Chase game show star Mark 'Beast' Labbett marries girl less than half his age |url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/chase-star-mark-beast-labbett-4421923 |newspaper=Daily Mirror |location=London |access-date=2 February 2016 }}{{cite news |author= |title=Winter 2014 Edition |url=http://www.arundelcathedral.org/proclaimer/Proclaimer_Winter_2014.pdf |work=Parish Proclaimer |access-date=2 February 2016 |archive-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822012434/http://www.arundelcathedral.org/proclaimer/Proclaimer_Winter_2014.pdf |url-status=dead }} They separated in 2020. Together they had a son.{{cite web |url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/tv-movies/thechase/mark-labbett-split-ex-wife-second-cousin-katie/ |title=The Chase's Mark Labbett opens up on split from ex-wife and second cousin Katie |date=16 May 2022 |website=Heart |access-date=17 May 2023}}

Following Labbett's separation from his wife, in early 2023, he began dating television presenter Hayley Palmer.{{Cite web |last=Seaman |first=Molly |date=2023-11-07 |title=Inside the life of Mark Labbett's TV host girlfriend |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/celebs-tv/chase-inside-life-mark-labbetts-8889767 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=Devon Live |language=en}} The relationship ended in 2024.{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=Susan |date=2024-05-25 |title=ITV The Chase star Mark Labbett ends relationship with girlfriend after one-year anniversary |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-itv-chase-star-mark-32892338 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=The Mirror |language=en}}

Labbett supports Sheffield United.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/mark-labbett-talked-the-chase-co-star-anne-hegerty-into-im-a-celebrity-get-me-out-of-here-206709 |title= Mark Labbett 'talked' The Chase co-star Anne Hegerty into I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here| work=R Sheffield Telegraph| access-date=2019-11-03|language=en-GB| issn=0307-1235}} In the Australian Football League, he supports the Western Bulldogs.{{cite tweet|title=Glad I picked the Bulldogs to be my AFL team. Nice bunch of lads and a 55 year drought ended. Go Doggies! #Bulldogs #BulldogNation|user=MarkLabbett|date=24 September 2016|number=779635009204486144}}

In 2025, Labbett revealed he had been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.{{Cite magazine|last=Underwood |first=Mitya|date=2025-03-01|title=The Chase's Mark Labbett's heartbreaking fear as he battles health issue |url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/chases-mark-labbetts-heartbreaking-fear-34768027.amp |access-date=2025-03-01 |magazine=OK! Magazine}}

Television

class="wikitable"
style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Channel

2009–present

| The Chase

| rowspan="6" |Chaser

| rowspan="2" |ITV

2011–present

| The Chase: Celebrity Specials

2013–2015, 2021–2022

| The Chase USA

| Game Show Network, ABC

2016–2020, 2022–present

| The Chase Australia

| Channel 7

2017–present

| The Family Chase

| rowspan="3" |ITV

2020–present

| Beat the Chasers

2021

| The Chasers Road Trip: Trains Brains and Automobiles

| Himself

2023–present

|Master Minds

|Master Minds

|Game Show Network

= Guest appearances =

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Portal|Biography|Television}}

  • {{IMDb name|id=3584757|name=Mark Labbett}}
  • {{Official website|http://www.marklabbett.co.uk/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Labbett, Mark}}

Category:1965 births

Category:People from Tiverton, Devon

Category:Alumni of the University of Exeter

Category:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford

Category:Alumni of the University of Glamorgan

Category:English television personalities

Category:Living people

Category:Contestants on British game shows

Category:Mass media people from Devon

Category:People from Rotherham