ITV The Chase star Mark Labbett's 10-stone weight loss transformation

Mark Labbett, famed as 'The Beast' on ITV's hit quiz show The Chase, has stunned fans with his jaw-dropping 10 stone weight loss. Flaunting his new look in a dapper suit via a mirror selfie on social media, the TV personality looks unrecognisable compared to his former self.

Once tipping the scales at 29 stone during his days as a maths teacher, Mark's health journey accelerated during the pandemic lockdown, chasing after his lively tot with nurseries shut. Steering clear of gastric band surgery due to his type 2 diabetes, he revamped his diet, ditching sugar and carbs.

On Good Morning Britain, Mark quashed rumours of surgical intervention, crediting his impressive slim-down to dietary changes and regular exercise. "How did you do it?" Susanna Reid probed during his GMB visit.

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Mark responded: "Not with a gastric band. I'm not too sure how. I weighed myself the other day and I was just under 19 stone and at my heaviest, I was just a shade under 185 kilos - 29 stone. Essentially I've been carrying a sack of coal on my back all these years."

Reflecting on his pre-celebrity life on This Morning, Mark reminisced about being an "overweight maths teacher" rather than the well-known face we see on our screens today, reports the Mirror.

At 57 years old, the Devon-born quiz ace talked about the dramatic life changes that led to a massive weight loss, and he's reaped heaps of admiration for it. Fans took to Twitter with comments like "Mark Labbett has lost some weight - looking good," and another saying, "Mark looks incredible after dropping the weight. Watching his interview he seems like such a lovely guy."

His adoption of a healthier diet and increased exercise culminated in an impressive 10 stone drop. He proudly states he's now in the best shape and at his slimmest in 30 years, having shed about 64kg, all at a statuesque height of 6ft 6in.

When on Loose Women last year, he shared: "I found at the end of the evening instead of going to the fridge for late night snacking, all I could do was collapse on the bed." In addition, his trusty Labrador Retriever Baloo has made a big difference, as he pointed out on ITV's The Pet Show hosted by Dermot O'Leary and Joanna Page, saying: "I was walking him around the fields, taking me places... I think he's helped a lot, simply because I'm doing more activity."

After parting ways with his long-term partner Hayley Palmer the previous year, Mark delved into the importance of his dietary approach, stressing that he achieved his weight transformation through a complete nutrition overhaul, focusing on low sugar and carbs, and without surgical intervention. Despite suggestions for a gastric band, his unique metabolism meant it was not advisable.