Mark Labbett Weight Loss: How The Chase Star Dropped 10 Stone

The Beast gets down to business

If you watch daytime telly, you know Mark Labbett. For years, he has played The Beast on ITV's hit quiz show The Chase, towering over terrified contestants in his dark suit. At his heaviest, he hit 29 stone. He was the biggest brain and the biggest bloke in the room.

Then he completely changed his life.

Over the past few years, Mark has dropped a whopping 10 stone. He did not pop a trendy jab or check into a private clinic for a quick nip and tuck. As reported by the Mirror, doctors warned him early on that going under the knife for weight-loss surgery was far too risky for a man of his size.

So, he did it the hard way. He walked into his kitchen, took a cold, hard look at what went on his plate, and made changes that stuck.

Why surgery was off the table

Let's be honest. When someone drops that much weight that fast, everyone assumes they had a gastric band fitted. Nobody blames them for thinking it either. It is usually the quickest route when your health is on the line.

Mark looked into it. But medical experts laid out the harsh reality for him. At nearly thirty stone, general anaesthetic and invasive stomach surgery carried massive risks. His body was already under immense strain.

He had to figure it out on his own two feet. A Type 2 diabetes diagnosis back in 2017 had already served as a giant wake-up call. If he wanted to stick around and watch his young son grow up, the weight had to go.

No shortcuts. No cheat codes. Just pure discipline.

The two things he cut from his plate

So how did he actually do it? You do not need a fancy subscription or a celebrity chef to follow his blueprint.

Mark cut two everyday staples right out of his routine: sugar and refined carbs.

Here is the thing. Mark has always openly admitted to having a massive sweet tooth. He used to eat cakes, sweets, and high-carb comfort food like they were going out of fashion. When you work long days under bright studio lights, grabbing sugary snacks from the green room is the easiest trap in the world.

He pulled the plug on all of it. Out went the biscuits, the sugary fizzy drinks, and the giant mounds of pasta and bread. In came lean meats, fish, eggs, and mountains of green vegetables.

He essentially shifted to a high-protein, low-carb routine. Eating more protein meant he stayed full for hours, which stopped the constant snacking between quiz recordings. The sugar cravings were brutal at first, but once his body adapted, the weight began to fall away week by week.

Small daily tweaks that made a massive difference

Cutting the junk was only half the battle. Mark also changed how he moved every single day.

He did not suddenly become a gym fanatic lifting heavy barbells at dawn. That was never going to work for him. Instead, he started walking. A lot.

Having a golden retriever gave him the perfect excuse. Rain or shine, he got outside and put the miles in. Daily dog walks might not sound like hardcore training, but when you are carrying extra weight, brisk walking burns huge amounts of energy without ruining your joints.

He also cut down his meal sizes. Instead of going back for second helpings, he stuck to one sensible plate. He drank pints of water before sitting down to eat, which tricked his brain into feeling satisfied much faster.

It is simple stuff, really. But doing it every single day without fail is where most people fall down. Mark stuck with it.

How The Chase star feels today

Look at photos of Mark on television now and he looks like a completely different bloke. His suits hang off him. His jawline is back. His energy levels are through the roof.

More importantly, his health numbers went in the right direction. By kicking the sugar habit and staying active, he got his diabetes under control and took massive pressure off his knees and back.

He has openly joked that buying a whole new wardrobe cost him a fortune because none of his old tailored suits fit. That is a pretty good problem to have, all things considered.

Mark proved that you do not need magic tricks or surgical intervention to turn your life around. You just need a solid plan, a bit of grit, and the willpower to push the bread basket away.