The Chase's Mark 'The Beast' Labbett reveals how he was saved by routine health check

We've known him as 'The Beast' for as long as he's been famous, but The Chase's Mark Labbett isn't looking very beast-like anymore ...

And it's all thanks to an eagle-eyed nurse who diagnosed him with a serious disease after spotting a tell-tale sign during a routine health check.

The 55-year-old chaser - who stands very tall at 6’ 7” - opened up about his health struggles this week, revealing that his type 2 diabetes was only diagnosed thanks to a nurse's probing question in 2017.

The TV star, who has since dropped 60kg, told the UK's Daily Express: "I've never had a diabetic episode."

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

"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 father-of-one shares regular photos of his weight loss journey on social media.

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

Mark before his weight loss.

At his heaviest, in 2016, Mark weighed 184kg.

He now weighs less than 120kg and hopes to lose even more following his diabetes diagnosis.