The Chase's Mark Labbett makes 'dig' at ex Hayley Palmer as he breaks social media silence

Just weeks after splitting from his girlfriend of one year, Mark Labbett, best known as The Beast on ITV quiz show, The Chase, appears to have taken a subtle dig at now-ex, Hayley Palmer, on his Instagram story.

The pair appeared loved up as they shared matching posts to Instagram last month to celebrate their one year anniversary, enjoying a cuddle in the sunshine at Southsea Beach in Portsmouth, where they first made their relationship official.

However, just days later, Hayley took to her Instagram story to announce that the pair had separated after "the best year together".

Insiders have since suggested that the former couple "had a lovely time" together, and are "still friendly", but ultimately wanted different things from life - highlighting that professional quizzer Mark Labbett "enjoys a quiet life" at home, while Hayley prefers the glitz and glamour of showbiz events, reports the Mirror.

However, Mark does not appear to be mourning the relationship too much, as he shared a photo on his own Instagram story yesterday (Tues) of him tucking into a meal at a restaurant that he and Hayley used to frequent - with a large grin on his face.

Dipping a piece of bread into what appears to be a bowl of tomato soup, The Beast wrote: "My summer of protein and pain. Gym, nutrition. #seasonswickersley feels good to be The Beast :)."

Fans would have immediately noticed the familiar setting, similar to where Mark and Hayley often dined - suggesting the quizmaster may have been trying to show his ex what she was missing.

The former couple were never hesitant to open up about their relationship dynamics, with Hayley once addressing their age gap on Good Morning Britain, saying: "I feel like we're pretty much the same [...] We just get on really well. It kind of works [but] we're different."

Their paths first crossed at the 2022 National Television Awards, where Mark was given a Toby Carvery Gold Card - which seemed to impress Hayley immensely. In a recent conversation with The Mirror, Hayley shared her belief that Mark was her soulmate.

Recalling the moment involving the Toby Carvery card, she commented: "It was a fun kind of ice breaker. Then he messaged me the next day, and we were having a little chat, and he was like, 'Maybe I'll take you to that Toby Carvery'. I was just laughing about it, I thought we were just friends."

Meanwhile, Mark, from Tiverton, Devon, has plenty to keep him busy, with the 15th anniversary of The Chase coming up this month - as he has previously said he hopes to continue on the show "until I'm 80".