'The Chase' star Mark Labbett 'barely ate for two weeks' while suffering mystery illness
The Chase star Mark Labbett has said he “barely ate” for two weeks while struck down with a mystery illness earlier this year, which he suspects could've been the coronavirus.
It comes after the brainiac has recently opened up on his five stone weight loss which was kick-started when he was unwell.
Appearing on Loose Women on Tuesday, he spoke on the symptoms he experienced back in February, stating: "The major one was complete loss of taste and smell and no appetite.
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"I had the cough and the fever and bouts of exhaustion but because I didn't have problems breathing - and this was back in February which was the number one symptom - I thought 'I've just got some kind of virus'.
'For two weeks I barely ate.'
The Chase's Mark Labbett tells the #LooseWomen how he battled a mystery illness, which he believes may have been coronavirus.
Watch ➡️ https://t.co/uhvdBHHe6b pic.twitter.com/MQNqFMRPSQ— Loose Women (@loosewomen) August 4, 2020
"For two weeks I barely ate. At the time I was thinking 'result!'."
In an interview with The Sun, Labbett revealed he had not been tested for the virus in February due to limited testing capacities at the time.
Last week saw the 54-year-old share a photo of his changing frame as he demonstrated how his trousers were now too big for him. He wrote: "Lost a bit of waistline, still a long way to go :) #skinnybeast #doubletwoshirts."
Lost a bit of waistline, still a long way to go :) #skinnybeast #doubletwoshirts pic.twitter.com/zlVby2lfMm
— Mark Labbett (@MarkLabbett) July 28, 2020
On the ITV show, Labbett divulged that his decision to lose weight was not a conscious one as it came as a result of him running around after his three-year-old son.
He said: "I haven't been going out, I haven't been going to restaurants, my wife is a shift worker, so I've been my son's primary carer and if you're looking after a toddler you haven't got time to eat.
"I was 27 stone in 2016 when I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was 23 stone at my last check-up in March and hopefully I'll be lighter at my next check-up soon.
"I have been eating more sensibly and doing more exercise these days."
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He married wife Katie, his second cousin, in 2014. Labbett has chosen to keep his son out of the spotlight, keeping his name and image private.
