Mark Labbett splits from wife after open marriage fails

\'The Chase\'s Mark Labbett has split from his wife.

The 55-year-old star - who is nicknamed \'The Beast\' on the ITV quiz show - and his wife Katie, 28, have decided to go their separate ways after their open marriage failed.

He told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "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."

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Katie has been dating senior design engineer Scott Bate, 30, for 18 months and Mark said he and Katie - who have a three-year-old son together - initially tried to save their marriage.

He explained: "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."

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However, Mark blamed a number of factors, including the Covid-19 lockdown and his own mental health, for their eventual split.

He said: "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."