After announcing their split following a year of dating, the real reason for Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer’s split has reportedly been revealed. It’s been said that Mark, 58, and Hayley, 42, parted ways as a result of the age-gap between them and the idea that they both wanted “different things”, according to The Sun.
A source told the publication: “Mark had a lovely time with Hayley and has a lot of respect for her but they wanted different things. She loves getting dressed up and going out to parties and showbiz events, whereas he prefers to stay at home.
“Mark felt there was too much of an age gap between them for long-term success. They are still friendly. Away from his job on telly and filming, Mark enjoys a quiet life and spending time with his son. He is still hopeful he can meet someone to settle down with one day.”
Express.co.uk have contacted Mark and Hayley’s representatives for comment. Hayley confirmed the split yesterday (25 May) as she took to Instagram to share a statement for her fans. She revealed: “It is with regret I announce that myself and Mark have gone our separate ways.
“We had the best time together, and I truly wish him all the very best in the future.” Hayley concluded the post with a broken-heart emoji: “Off I go to listen to Taylor Swift.” A spokesperson for The Chase star told the aforementioned publication: “I can confirm that Mark and Hayley have split. He won’t be making any further comment at this time.”
The news will come as a shock to their fans as the couple recently celebrated their first anniversary.
A week ago, Mark shared a snap of the duo on the beach. The ITV star penned: “One Year Anniversary. Same beach, same bench @hayleypalmer_presenter.” (sic)
Hayley also shared some smiley snaps from the beach with the same caption. Earlier this month, the pair appeared on ITV’s Loose Women where they discussed the success of their relationship.
Hayley and Mark also chatted to the panel about how they were going to mark their first anniversary together.
Brenda Edwards asked them: “How are you going to mark the special occasion of going out for a year?”
“It might be quite sad to some people but to us, it’s really special,” Hayley replied with a huge grin on her face.
“We are going back to the bench. We sat on this bench a year ago, and I think it is kind of where we both thought actually this could be something”.
She added: “I’ve always gone out with you know bad boys and Mark is honestly like ladies there is so much hope you can find a nice genuine guy.”