The Chase's Mark Labbett issues apology after 'bursts of anger on set'

The Chase star Mark Labbett has apologised after he experienced "bursts of anger" while looking for love on Channel 4's reality series Celebs Go Dating. The quiz genius admitted that he lost his temper on set trying to deal with the drastically different filming schedule.

The 59-year-old recounted: "I'm used to being in a pre-planned environment on The Chase, where timings are strict, but reality TV can go on for longer and the days end up ending later than you think." The ITV star who has been vocal about potentially being on the autism spectrum also added that his mental health struggled on the show. Mark said: "For me, the one thing I found was that you need a social battery recharge, and as someone on the spectrum, that's something I really need."

Although he hasn't received a formal diagnosis, he revealed that his suspected neurodivergence has impacted his dating life as he finds it hard to read people.

Mark now plans to take the lessons he has learned from filming the show into any future contracts to ensure he does not act in that manner again.

"I got quite grumpy on set. I did apologise to everyone, but, in the future, I'd definitely have it in my contract that I need breaks to have a nap and recharge."

The Beast star added that his bad mood was also impacted by his diabetes: "I wear a glucose monitor and on one of the nights, my glucose level went off the scale."

Although the show was a "learning curve" for Mark, he said that he is still looking forward to its release.

Alongside feeling grumpy, the star also faced a health scare, which temporarily halted filming after he suffered a hypoglycaemic attack, which, according to the NHS, is a symptom of low blood sugar.

The 59-year-old recounted: "One night, I had a hypoglycaemic attack. I might have been a bit grumpy that night. I apologised to everyone after."

Mark's quest for romance comes after the end of his marriage to ex-wife Katie, who is 27 years his junior.

The couple had been together for seven years and shared one child, a son, but parted ways in 2020. Their age gap was cited as a contributing factor in the split.