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THE Chase star Anne Hegerty dismissed talk of a love affair with The Beast — as she “does not do younger men”.

Viewers clocked “frosty knickers” checking out Mark Labbett, 55, in his trunks on the Road Trip spin-off show.

Anne Hegerty has quashed talk of a love affair with ‘The Beast’ Mark Labbett — because she doesn’t want a younger man
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Anne Hegerty has quashed talk of a love affair with ‘The Beast’ Mark Labbett — because she doesn’t want a younger manCredit: Rex Features

But Anne, 62, said the scene in Miami was deliberately edited.

Mark’s open marriage to his second cousin Katie, 28, collapsed last August when she chose to move on with an engineer.

But Anne — godmother to Mark’s four-year-old son — said: “Let’s not go there. I always say we’re not each other’s type and I don’t do younger men. I just looked over my shoulder at the sea and they cut in an image of Mark coming out.

“Mark was not actually doing that at that time. Editors are wicked. Producers just like to do that sort of thing.

Viewers accused Anne Hegerty of checking out Mark Labbett in his trunks on their Road Trip spin-off show
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Viewers accused Anne Hegerty of checking out Mark Labbett in his trunks on their Road Trip spin-off showCredit: ITV

“I laughed and then I rolled my eyes and thought, ‘For God sake, now everyone’s going to think I have a crush on Mark’.”

Anne also missed Shaun “The Dark Destroyer” Wallace’s prominent bulge.

She said of the trim 60-year-old: “I didn’t notice Shaun’s budgie smugglers.

“I suppose I’m just used to not looking at the boys. I wasn’t aware of it until everyone started pointing it out.”

Anne appears to check out topless Mark on show
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Anne appears to check out topless Mark on showCredit: ITV
Anne is godmother to Mark’s four-year-old son
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Anne is godmother to Mark’s four-year-old sonCredit: ITV

Anne, whose autism means she has struggled to form romantic relationships, said finding love “doesn’t feel like something that’s necessary”.

She said of lockdown: “It was nice not having to see people and having an excuse not to go out. I just say, ‘So sorry I can’t. It’s all very unfortunate, we’re not able to’, and you don’t feel any guilt.”

But she admits the cast have all become unlikely sex symbols.

She added: “We probably are all somebody’s weird crush somewhere, I would expect. I suspect we all have big gay followings.”

Anne also missed Shaun 'The Dark Destroyer' Wallace’s prominent bulge
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Anne also missed Shaun 'The Dark Destroyer' Wallace’s prominent bulgeCredit: ITV
Anne admits the cast have all become unlikely sex symbols
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Anne admits the cast have all become unlikely sex symbolsCredit: Rex Features

Anne looked miffed on the Road Trip after being thrashed by an 11-year-old Scrabble champ.

She said she likes kids but having any of her own was “not really an option”.

She added: “I used to mind that that didn’t seem to be going to happen but, to be perfectly honest, I do actually feel I’ve rather dodged a bullet.

“If there’s a kid in my house, I’ll make sure they don’t stick their fingers in the electric sockets or break anything. I prefer other people to have kids and lend me them and I can hand them back.”

Anne Hegerty, Shaun Wallace and Mark Labbett swim with dolphins on The Chasers Road Trip​:​ Trains, Brains and Automobiles
  • THE Chasers Road Trip: Trains, Brains and Automobiles airs Thursday at 9pm and is also available on ITV Hub.

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