The Chase's Mark 'The Beast' Labbett has split from his wife following secret affair

Mark ' The Beast' Labbett from The Chase has split from his wife of five years, Katie, following the revelation she had been secretly dating Scott Bate for more than a year.

But according to Katie, the couple - who got married in October 2014 - have decided to separate because they have "drifted away" from each other.

Speaking to The Sun On Sunday, the 26-year-old confirmed the break-up and admitted she had found new love with Scott.

She said: "Mark and I had been talking about separating for some time — we have been drifting for a while.

"He works away a lot and that's been hard. A lot of people think it's the age difference but we don't see that as the factor.

"I met Scott by accident, on a night out, and we just clicked. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened. But Mark always knew — straight from the off I was honest.

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"He knew I was going out and who I was seeing. He was incredibly understanding. If it was anybody else it wouldn’t matter, but because Mark’s in the limelight people have been gossiping. It’s frustrating," she explained.

It is not the first time Katie and Mark's relationship has hit headlines for its controversy.

The couple discovered that they were second cousins three years into their marriage.

The popular Chaser said at the time: "It wasn't something we were aware of at the time - it was one of those things that happened."

The estranged couple - who share a young son - are now putting their £600,000 Hereford house on the market.