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Home / Entertainment

Chase star Mark Labbett reveals how he was saved by routine health check

NZ Herald
13 Jul, 2021 10:28 PM3 mins to read

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Mark Labbett has shared more details of his health battles. Photo / Instagram

Mark Labbett has shared more details of his health battles. Photo / Instagram

The Chase star Mark 'The Beast' Labbett has revealed how he was diagnosed with a serious disease after an eagle-eyed nurse spotted a tell-tale sign during a routine health check.

Labbett, who has gone public with his health struggles in the past, revealed that his type 2 diabetes was only diagnosed thanks to a nurse's probing question.

"I've never had a diabetic episode," he explained to the UK's Daily Express.

During a routine check in 2017, he mentioned a seemingly minor complaint.

"I've got skin that doesn't heal properly in my lower legs," he told the nurse.

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"A nurse looked at me and she asked, 'Are you sure you're not diabetic?'"

He continued: "They took a test and she said, 'Yes, you're diabetic'."

The quizmaster has previously revealed how he weighed in at 171kg at his heaviest.

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In 2017, Labbett appeared on UK panel show Loose Women as part of their male Body Stories campaign, where he opened up about his type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

He confessed to eating up to 10 bars of chocolate a day, he said: "I'm not going to complain. I've done the crime so I'll do the time."

However, he also spoke about maintaining a good relationship with his body, simply stating: "I am what I am."

He has shared regular photos of his weight-loss journey to social media.

Discover more

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mark Labbett (@markthebeastlabbett)

In January Labbett posted another comparison photo on his profile: "At this rate I'll be the skinniest chaser," he captioned the post.

He often uses the hashtag #skinnybeast poking fun at his nickname on The Chase.

He spent much of 2020 focusing on weight loss and his overall health after a suspected case of Covid-19 saw him suffer from a "complete loss of appetite, no sense of smell, a temperature, exhaustion and the worst fever of my life", he told the Sun on Sunday at the time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mark Labbett (@markthebeastlabbett)

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