The Chase star Mark Labbett's 'heartbroken' ex Hayley Palmer having counselling following their split
Hayley Palmer has opened up about seeking therapy after her unexpected split from The Chase star Mark Labbett left her heartbroken. The 42 year old TV host was stunned when Mark, 59, called time on their romance with a short phone call that lasted just three minutes, catching her completely off-guard.
Mark had previously given Hayley assurances that he would finalise his divorce from his estranged wife Katie, 32, from whom he separated in 2020, but he had a change of heart and chose not to proceed with the legal separation from the mother of his child.
On the My Dirty Laundry podcast, Hayley shared the emotional impact of the break up, saying: "The way he did it, his voice still haunts me to this day. I'm having counselling because someone told me, 'What you've had is betrayal trauma.'
"They said, 'Have you been having flashbacks and nightmares and anxiety? ' I said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I get'. It's just the shock to your body of it completely coming out of the blue."
Reflecting on the confusion surrounding their split, Hayley recalled how they had just celebrated their first year together on May 16 with a lovely beach outing in Southsea.
She recounted the moment Mark broke the news: "He called me and said, "How are you? Are you on GB News this Saturday?
"I was like, "Yeah, I'm booked to go on, can't wait"... I was telling him everything."
"And then he said, 'Right, this is not gonna be easy to tell you, but you were right. I don't want to get a divorce'."
After the sudden end to their relationship, Hayley hung up the phone, blocked Mark on all platforms, and they haven't spoken since.
Hayley opened up about her feelings regarding the sudden end of her relationship, explaining that she had not seen any red flags prior which left her feeling a lack of self-confidence.
Describing her longing for communication at the time of the break-up, she shared: "I wish we could have just sat down and just said, 'Look, this is the situation. Can we make it work? Okay, let's stick together. Let's put a statement out together.'"
She continued with the heart-rending details of how she felt afterwards saying: "'Because it all happened and I felt completely alone. I felt really scared. I am a positive person but I couldn't get out of bed because I felt so low."
She admitted to initially feeling ashamed seeking help after the fallout: "I thought counselling would be a weak thing to do, and it would be embarrassing. But it really helps me to know that others have gone through the same thing."
Adding that coming to terms with the fact it's normal to feel distraught, she said: "And that I'm not alone and OK to have nightmares, it's what happens."
Finally, she spoke about the depth of her affection towards him, but the need for self-love now: "This was real love and I poured all my love into him. I put him on a pedestal - but now I've got to pour that love into myself instead."
