The Chase star Mark Labbett reveals bizarre way he achieved ten stone weight loss

THE CHASE star Mark 'The Beast' Labbett has revealed the bizarre way in which he's managed to drop ten stone in a year.

The quiz master, 56, confessed it was the result of eating "an awful lot of meat."

In just six months, Mark, who is usually seen on the ITV game show displaying his wealth of knowledge, lost four inches off his chest and six inches off his belly.

At his heaviest, the father-of-one was 29 stone back in 2003 while working as a teacher.

He told Loose Women during a past appearance: "I’m on a high protein diet, so eating an awful lot of meat and lean meat.

"As much as I love chips and other carbs, I’m having quite a bit less than I used to.

“And it’s sort of became a virtuous cycle, I’m not feeling that hungry, so you eat less, so you lose weight, so you’re not as hungry.”

Mark added: "I dropped Xs off my size, from 5XL to 4XL, and it looks like the next time I go shopping I'll be able to squeeze into XL pants."

The star has also attributed his weight loss to his four-year-old son Lawrence - and his dog Baloo.

He explained: "I've lost 10 stone, I was 29 stone when I was a full time teacher in 2003 and I was in danger of high blood pressure.

"I've been around 26 stone up until lockdown, and then a few things happened quite nicely and came together and I started losing weight.

"The principle thing is running around after a hyperactive toddler when nurseries have been shut. How do you keep up with them?

"I found at the end of the evening instead of going to the fridge for late night snacking, all I could do was collapse on the bed."

Mark shares his son with ex-wife Katie - they got married in October 2014, but announced their split in August 2020.

Of his adorable golden retriever Baloo, he told ITV's The Pet Show: "My wife promised me that when we first got him she would take care of everything - feeding him, walking him and so on...

"That lasted about two weeks before she decided 'Actually Mark, look at your belly - you need the exercise!'"

Mark and Baloo instantly bonded and he now refers to the dog as a his own "personal trainer".

He continued: "I was walking him around the fields, taking me places… I think he's helped a lot, simply because I'm doing more activity."