The Chase star Mark 'The Beast' Labbett splits from second cousin wife Katie

3 September 2020, 10:25 | Updated: 3 September 2020, 10:36

Mark Labbett has announced that he and Katie have gone their separate ways after an open marriage.

The Chase star Mark Labbett has announced that he's split from his wife Katie, revealing that the 27 year age gap and struggles during lockdown put a strain on their marriage.

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Speaking about their split, Mark 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."

Mark, 55, who is known as 'The Beast' on the ITV show, has been married to Katie, 28, who is his second cousin, for seven years, but it emerged 18 months ago that she had also been seeing a man called Scott, 30, a relationship that Mark was aware of.

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Awkward moment The Beast dodges questions about his marriage to his second cousin

Katie herself also spoke about her split from Mark, adding: "I just want everyone to know what’s what and that we are all happy."

Speaking about their open marriage, Mark 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.

"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."

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