Strictly ‘can’t find female dancer’ for Mark Labbett as The Chase star gets turned down

The Chase: Naga Munchetty takes swipe at Mark Labbett

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Mark Labbett, 56, has said that fans of Strictly Come Dancing may never get the chance to see him be a contestant on the BBC show. The Chase star said he would love the opportunity to take part in the dancing show but admitted he may not be swapping his quizzing knowledge for the dancefloor anytime soon.

The small-screen star explained he had been told behind the scenes that his Strictly debut was unlikely.

Speaking about the reality series, Mark explained that he would like to take part but added he is not a likely contender.

The Chaser revealed he had been informed that it may not be feasible to be paired with a professional female dancer due to his 6ft 7in height.

Mark explained: “With Strictly, I’ve been told that unfortunately, you’ve got no chance.

“We can’t find a female dancer tall enough to be with you but I’d love to do it.”

The ITV favourite also detailed another possibility he may not take part in the series as he addressed “practical matters”.

“I suspect there are practical matters not least of which that the Celebrity Chase is up against Strictly,” Mark commented.

“So the powers that be on both BBC and ITV might have a view they don’t want any of the Chasers on Strictly Come Dancing.”

Express.co.uk has previously contacted Strictly Come Dancing representatives for comment.

The current series of Strictly is in full swing as the contestants dance into week eight of the competition.

Meanwhile, Mark recently revealed that he has lost nearly 10 stone during the recent lockdown.

At his heaviest, the ITV favourite weighed 29 stone but has since shed the pounds sitting at an incredible 19 stone.

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The Chaser opened up about the TV moment which sparked his staggering loss before he was diagnosed with diabetes.

“With hindsight, when I did Sugar-Free Farm, I reckon I was possibly diabetic then,” Mark explained.

“And although they did a whole battery of tests on me the one thing they never did was test us for diabetes. I’m certain I was either diabetic then or pre-diabetic.”

Mark was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017 and has continued his quest to lose weight over the years.

“I’ve still got a way to go. It turned out a couple of years ago I wasn’t far away from being nondiabetic,” he said.

“I got pretty close to it. Unfortunately, I let myself go a bit because I didn’t know at the time.”

Mark recently announced that he has joined The Chase US in addition to being a part of the UK edition.

Strictly Come Dancing airs tonight on BBC One at 6.40pm and The Chase Celebrity Special airs on ITV at 8.30pm.

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