The Chase star Mark Labbett has addressed surgery claims after recently showing off his weight loss. The quizzer, who is a regular on the hit ITV show, has lost a whopping 10 stone and said previously his change was kick-started by the coronavirus lockdown.
Back in December, fans were left stunned when he shared a new snap of himself backstage in pantomime. Mark, who is nicknamed 'The Beast' on the quiz show, floored followers on social media as he posted a picture from behind-the-scenes at the Northwich pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.
Mark, who was playing the villain Fleshcreep in the show, tweeted a photo of himself holding a Pointless board game based on The Chase's rival BBC show. "This was my secret Santa at the Northwich Panto. I suspect @richardosman," he joked. But fans were distracted by Mark's weight loss as they commented on how trim he was looking.
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Now Mark has revealed that the changes he made have helped him. Speaking about his weight loss journey and how he lost the weight, he told The Sun: "I think the major one – I’ve said various ones but they all chip in. Exercising the dog, the diabetes medication helped, running around my five/six year old during the pandemic.
"One of the major things, I notice that people say I eat a fraction of what I normally eat. I have a standard carvery and I struggle to finish it – I eat so less but I drink so much more liquids, so my stomach's filled up."
He also addressed claims he's had surgery to aid his weight loss. He added to the publication: "I’m not really trying to diet, I’m just being sensible, people say you’ve had the gastric sleeve or band and I haven’t. And how you can tell is look at my face, do I look like I’m drawn? I’ve lost it slowly."
But Mark, who weighed 378lbs at his heaviest and said he is 'feeling good' about being back in a size 38 jeans, was tempted by undergoing surgery but opted against it following advice from a doctor. "I was tempted by the gastric band but a good friend of mine who's a GP, said my problem is sugar, I have a sweet tooth," he said.
"A gastric band is useless for me because sugar metabolises quite quickly, so I’ve done it the old fashion way by eating a bit less and I’ve tried to go to the gym."
Back in 2021 Mark, who became a 'chaser' in 2009 on the Bradley Walsh-fronted show, said he was feeling 'leaner and meaner' after shedding the pounds. The 57-year-old quizzer looked almost unrecognisable as he showcased his weight loss with before and after photos posted side-by-side.
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