The Chase’s Mark Labbett reveals he only punched the wall during THAT explosive show because he got the final question RIGHT – only for ITV bosses to disallow it
Mark’s temper got the better of him during a particularly tense episode of The Chase but he’s admitted he can’t help but be passionate about what he does
THE Chase's Mark Labbett has revealed he only punched the wall during THAT explosive episode because he got the final question RIGHT but it was disallowed.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun Online at the National Television Awards, Mark said he took the error personally.
The shocking episode saw The Beast punch a wall in a fit of rage and storm off set after getting the question wrong.
Contestants Michael, Trish and Terry managed to win £60,000, beating the Chaser in the final round.
But despite keeping his cool in his chair, The Beast then stormed off before letting his anger out on the set.
Host Bradley Walsh attempted to play it down, as he told the audience: "That just shows you how they take it."
Opening up about the incident, Mark revealed he had got the question right but producers disallowed it.
He told us: "It's one of those things, what you didn't see...I got given a question right and then carried on with another question but then they stopped the tape and ran it back and watched it again and said, 'oh no, you got it wrong'.
"And of course, as any sportsman would tell you, when you get a goal disallowed on a replay you take it personally.
"And it was better to hit that than hit Bradley."
Mark then revealed how The Chasers are so good at their job saying: "Bradley winds us up backstage beforehand and we all have a warm up,.
"We have an old quiz book and we go through about 100 questions just to get our brains in gear- that's why we win. We are ready to play."
Speaking on Lorraine earlier this week, Mark admitted his passion can get the better of him sometimes.
Mark explained: “It’s what I do, to say I’m the best in the world at what I do is an arrogant statement but it’s true.
“I want to live up to that, all of us just want to be the best.”
As well as being one of the main cast of The Chase in the UK, alongside Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Paul Sinha and newbie Jenny Ryan, Mark is also a chaser in the US and Australia.
Speaking about the pressures of the role, he said: “It’s a constant job. Ann and I are constantly learning but there’s a reason why they asked us to do it.
“I’m batting at around 89 per cent, so it’s the remaining 11 per cent I have to work on. If I’m on the underground I’ll be looking at all the posters of the latest film and book releases.
“No one has proved an eidetic memory but some of us are pretty close to it.”
Meanwhile, Mark also admitted he wouldn’t consider a stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle because he thinks he’d turn to ‘cannibalism’ to survive.
The 6ft 7” TV star, who weighs 27st, revealed ITV bosses had tried to tempt him to join the show but says he told them wouldn’t be able to survive on the basic rations camp mates have to live on.
Mark, 51, said: “I've been asked to do the jungle but the base calorie intake is about 700 calories. Look at me!
“If I survived a week in there I'd probably drop three stone and cannibalism would maybe on the cards.”
Speaking about his stint on Sugar Free Farm, he continued: “On Sugar Free Farm, the weight just fell off me because I couldn't eat enough.”
“Does The Chase need me big? Put it this way, whenever I start losing weight because I'm doing a fitness kick or whatever, the producers go past me and hand me a second portion of pudding.”
Before he started working on The Chase, Mark appeared on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in 2009.
Unsurprisingly he sailed through the initial rounds, though had to ask the audience at the £2,000 question, which was about knitting.
He then phoned his friend, “master caterer” Mo, when he couldn't decide which fruit was the principal ingredient of a traditional tarte tatin (apple).”
The former supply teacher provided some much-loved Beast banter along the way, telling Chris the kids he taught were always coming up with nicknames for him - King Kong being the latest.
Mark continued: “Hulk, Godzilla - basically any time there's a monster flick, for some reason that's what my name becomes.
“I'm not even the tallest in my family - my little brother Phil is 6ft 8in.”
He later admitted: “I can't intimidate kids, but I can intimidate adults very easily.”
Chris joked back: “It's working for me!”
The Beast also admitted he would jack in teaching if he won the million pound prize.
Unfortunately he stumbled at the £64,000 question, which asked: “The best-selling novel Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow is set chiefly in which country?”
After much deliberation and using his 50-50 life line, he went for Canada, which was incorrect - the right answer was Denmark.
Chris seemed genuinely gutted for him, telling Mark: “I'm really sorry, you're such a nice bloke! Sorry, mate.”
The Beast was gracious in defeat, taking the £32,000 and admitting: “I could have sat here all night and I wouldn't have known, it was just a guess.”
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