Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer split: TV star reveals emotional turmoil and 'betrayal'

Hayley Palmer smiling as she poses in a dress (Image: Instagram/Hayley Palmer)

Hayley Palmer and Mark Labbett, known as The Beast on The Chase, seemed to be enjoying a blossoming romance, having recently celebrated their first anniversary and publicly declaring their love on daytime television. However, in a shocking turn of events, Hayley, 42, announced that their relationship had abruptly ended towards the end of May, following a phone call from Mark.

Rumours circulated that the 16-year age gap and geographical distance between Mark's Rotherham home and Hayley's London base were the reasons for the split. This left fans puzzled as just days prior, the couple had shared affectionate photos of themselves.

"We went on Loose Women the week before we split up to talk about how happy we were," Hayley revealed.

"We had our one-year anniversary we were celebrating. We were booking theatre tickets with my mum and dad, we were organising quiz nights together. We were in a really good place as far as I was aware."

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"So when the phone call came completely out of the blue, the shock hit me so bad to my nervous system that, on reflection, I think I had a panic attack on the spot and lost all control of my body.", reports OK!.

Hayley Palmer and Mark Labbett appeared on Loose Women just a week before they split (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In an Instagram Stories post announcing their separation, TV reporter Hayley disclosed that she and Mark had parted ways, adding that they'd had the "best year together". However, in the aftermath of her sudden heartbreak, Hayley confessed that her mental health suffered in the subsequent weeks.

"My friend asked, 'Can you just get on the Tube and come to me? ' And I literally couldn't," she recalls. "I couldn't physically get on the Tube. I was walking around for three hours not knowing where I was going. It's a really scary place to be. The first week I was in absolute shock, then I just felt really low. The biggest thing was that my self-worth and my self-confidence had just gone to the absolute floor."

Despite being a familiar face on television, known for her smiley and upbeat persona, Hayley's reality was far from what viewers saw. She was quietly trying to rebuild her life.

"The thing with me is I'm such a bubbly person and I'm very, very positive," she explains. "I always get up, put my make-up on and get out there, but I found I really struggled. There's no easy way to say that. I was just, looking back, very unstable. I was making it through the day, putting on a good show, but underneath just totally crumbling. It really hit me hard. I never thought I'd be in that place I never thought I wouldn't want to get out of bed."

"I think I was in shock to begin with and then I thought I'd be OK, but I was bursting into tears in the middle of Tesco initially."

Hayley opened up about the toll her breakup took on her health, saying, "I have to say it's a lot better now, but I was having severe flashbacks the whole time because your mind goes through the whole relationship and I was having nightmares. I'm a really good sleeper, but I was waking up in sweats and with severe anxiety. I wasn't in a good place at all."

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After going public with her ordeal, Hayley discovered the term 'betrayal trauma', which is experienced when trust is broken. This discovery led her to pursue counselling, a decision she believes was pivotal in her recovery.

A counsellor reached out to Hayley after relating to her struggles: "A counsellor got in touch with me and she said, 'Would you like to talk? I've read your story. I'm concerned about you. Would you just like to have a chat on the phone? ' I thought, 'Why not? ' When I spoke to her, it just made complete sense."

In the depths of despair, Hayley learned from a counsellor that she suffered from betrayal trauma,which echoes PTSD: "She said that what I had was betrayal trauma, which is like PTSD. So when she was saying, 'Have you got the anxiety? Have you got the sweats? Have you got the nightmares? ' I was like, 'That's what I've been having,'" she recounts.

Hayley said she had 'a panic attack on the spot' when Mark called to end their relationship (Image: Instagram/Hayley Palmer) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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The same counsellor offered Hayley solace and advice, telling her not to worry as her symptoms were a normal response to the shock: "She told me not to worry and that it was to be expected after the complete shock I'd had to my system. She reassurred me that other people had been through the same and just to take a deep breath. She just really helped me."

Two months after her separation, Hayley is still undergoing counselling and is now a staunch advocate for others in similar situations to seek help. She's been candid about her journey, finding comfort in the shared experiences of others, and has even built an online community of individuals with broken hearts.

"It melts my heart. They just tell me everything that they're going through," she revealed. "Everyone's got a story to share. A lot of men have got in contact as well. I didn't realise how many people would reach out to me. It's made me realise I've got a lovely community online where people have opened up to me. I will always reply to everyone."

'I was making it through the day, putting on a good show, but underneath just totally crumbling' (Image: Instagram/Hayley Palmer)

Hayley, who firmly states she doesn't "give second chances" is gradually rediscovering her old self. For the first time in weeks, the entertainment journalist, known for her appearances on GB News, has been able to ponder her breakup without being swamped by emotion.

On the dating front, Hayley isn't rushing into another relationship but is open to socialising. "I'm now getting to the stage where I don't want to get into anything, but I could go for a drink, have a laugh and a nice dinner," she expressed.

Despite not having found her fairytale ending yet, Hayley remains upbeat about her personal life.

"I see good in people," she declares. "I watch every romcom and I live for the fairytale. What it has taught me is to look out for red flags and keep my boundaries firmly in place. But am I going to give up? Absolutely not."

A representative for Mark Labbett chose not to comment.

Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer split: TV star reveals emotional turmoil and 'betrayal'

Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer split: TV star reveals emotional turmoil and 'betrayal'

Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer split: TV star reveals emotional turmoil and 'betrayal'

Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer split: TV star reveals emotional turmoil and 'betrayal'

Mark Labbett and Hayley Palmer split: TV star reveals emotional turmoil and 'betrayal'