The Chase's Mark Labbett didn't notice new girlfriend flirting on first date

Watch: Mark Labbett won over new girlfriend with loyalty card

What did you miss?

The Chase star Mark Labbett has confessed he didn't realise his new girlfriend was flirting with him on their first date. The quiz show star — known as 'The Beast' — appeared on Good Morning Britain with new girlfriend, Sky TV entertainment presenter Hayley Palmer.

The couple, who have been dating for a year after meeting at the National Television Awards (NTAs), opened up on how they fell for one another.

What, how, and why?

Labbett, 58, admitted that even after 41-year-old Palmer agreed to go on a date with, he struggled to read her signals at first. The Chaser confessed while his brain is great at remembering trivia, it is not as good at interpreting body language.

Labbett told Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid: "I'm sure you wont be surprised — I'd describe my brain as the kind of person who can tell you the capital of Estonia is Tallinn, but what's it mean when that pretty girl gives you a funny smile?

"I'll openly admit it got to the end of our first long date and I was saying 'I haven't got a clue but I really like you, any chance of a second date?' And she's going 'I've been flirting with you all week!'"

Meanwhile, Palmer insisted: "I played it cool but I said well maybe. He couldn't [read my body language] at all."

The entertainment commentator on Sky TV and GB News revealed when she was interested to Labbett at the NTAs by their mutual agent, she was won over on hearing that The Chaser had a Toby Carvery Gold card, which got him discounts at the restaurant chain. She said: "I was like wow! This is pretty impressive. Sold, what can I say?!"

Madeley asked about the 16-year age difference between the couple and what they had in common.

Palmer said: "I feel like we're pretty much the same. We're both Leos. We just get on really well. We've got quite different brains. When we went to America I said 'Is there a hair salon, is there anywhere I can get my nails done?' and he said 'No, I haven't seen anywhere at all.' And we stepped out of the hotel and there's loads of them. But it sort of works, we're quite different."

What else happened on Good Morning Britain?

Labbett has shed an astonishing 10 stone in the last year. He insisted he has not made any major changes in his lifestyle apart from moving more and eating less. But he did admit that after contracting a nasty bout of coronavirus, he lost his appetite and it has never returned to the way to the way it was.

He said: "I was lucky, I think one of the bouts of COVID my appetite sort of went away and never came back."

Good Morning Britain airs on ITV from 6am to 9am from Monday to Friday.

Beat The Chasers returns on on ITV and ITVX at 9pm on Friday, 12th January.

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