The Chase star Mark Labbett has revealed the heartbreaking motivation behind his dramatic 10-stone weight loss journey.
The 59-year-old quiz master, known as “The Beast” on the ITV quiz show, now weighs just under 19 stone – with his heaviest weight being 29 stone.
Labbett recently told OK! magazine that his weight loss journey has been particularly focused on his health and future.
He opened up about how he managed to drop five trouser sizes by cutting down on sugar and carbs, with the touching goal in mind of watching his son, Lawrence, grow up and graduate from university.
The Chaser explained: “He’ll be 21 when I’m 71, 72, and that’s my mission. I’m just happy he’s a well-adjusted young man.”
The quiz champion shares his seven-year-old son with ex-wife Katie and proudly noted that Lawrence has inherited his mathematical abilities.
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He joked: “He’s inherited my math ability, which I’m not upset about either.”
It wasn’t just his son’s future that spurred Labbett on to make the drastic change to his lifestyle, with a concerning health diagnosis playing a part
The 59-year-old was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and further diagnosed with arthritis, leaving the star to confront his own mortality.
“I think the diabetes may have helped because I eat a lot less. I drink a lot more fluids,” he said about his weight loss.
Taking a look at his lifestyle, he quickly realised that sugar and carbs were his downfall and decided to make drastic changes.
Despite being tempted by weight loss surgery, Labbett chose to get fit “the old-fashioned way” and revealed: “I was tempted by the gastric band but a good friend of mine who’s a GP, said my problem is sugar, I have a sweet tooth.”
This isn’t the first time that Labbett has opened up about his weight loss, as he previously denied using surgical methods during an appearance on Good Morning Britain.
“Not with a gastric band. I’m not too sure how,” he told host Susanna Reid.
He now struggles to finish meals, which has contributed to his weight loss, and is thrilled with his transformation, revealing he now has a physique similar to his younger days.
“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,” he told OK!
The star reflected on his previous weight, saying: “Essentially, I’ve been carrying a sack of coal on my back all these years.”
Labbett continues to co-parent his son with his ex-wife, Katie, despite their split in 2020 after seven years of marriage.
In a recent interview with The Sun, Labbett revealed he would only consider formally ending his marriage “if either Katie or I get with someone serious”.
