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Movies & TV

27th Dec 2022

Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett shows off staggering 10 stone weight loss in new photo

Charlie Herbert

He previously weighed 27 stone

The Chase‘s Mark Labbett has stunned fans with his remarkable weight loss, with many saying that he looks unrecognisable.

Labbett has risen to fame over the last decade or so thanks to his quizzing role on The Chase, where he goes by the nickname ‘The Beast’.

This is not because of his size though, and is actually because his name is homophonous with the French phrase ‘La Bête’, which translates to ‘The Beast’.

Having previously been large in stature thanks in part to his 6ft 6in height, he has left fans in awe at his impressive weight loss in recent months.

The professional quizzer shared a picture of himself standing backstage at a theatre in Northwich in Cheshire, where he is pantomime currently playing the villain Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk.

He shared a joking snap of him holding the board game version of Pointless, the show that The Chase goes up against over on the BBC on weekday evenings and shares a friendly rivalry with.

Underneath his Twitter post, Labbett wrote: “This was my secret Santa at the Northwich Panto. I suspect Richard Osman.”

Mark Labbett on his weight loss

Many couldn’t hide their amazement at the quizzer’s slim physique.

One fan wrote: “Is it bad I thought this was a throwback pic of you as a teen!?

“You’re looking way younger, Beastie!”

Another said: “Jesus, almost didn’t recognise you, really smashed that weight loss.”

A third said: “Bloody hell, actually didn’t think that was you and thought it was possibly your son or a relative lol.”

Mark has been open in the past about how a bout of suspected Covid-19 and his battle with diabetes sparked his determination to shed some timber.

Having previously weighed more than 27 stone, he has managed to get to under 23 stone and hasn’t looked back. In 2020, he told the Sun:

“I got suspected Covid at the end of February, and got sent home from work, for the first time in 15 years, on Wednesday 27th. ITV were brilliant and took no chances.

“Because the testing capacity was so limited then, I never formally got a test but all I can say is that for two weeks I had complete loss of appetite, no sense of smell, a temperature, exhaustion and the worst fever of my life.”

He continued: “I basically didn’t eat for two weeks but since then the weight has continued to drop off because I have continued to eat sensibly. I knew I had to.

“I am still losing weight and beginning to notice the difference in photos which, I can assure you, are not Photoshopped!”

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