THE Chase's Mark Labbett has defended the 16 year age gap with his younger girlfriend Hayley Palmer.
Top quizzer Mark, 57, is head over heels for the glamorous presenter, 41, after meeting at last year's National Television Awards.
The pair's relationship is getting serious, with Mark recently introducing Hayley to his family and contemplating moving to London from Rotherham to be closer to her.
While age gaps are often a topic of contention, Mark insists it isn't an issue in their case.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he said: “Obviously I’m a little bit older than her, but I think it depends on who you’re with.
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“And, you know, I’d argue I’m a very childish 57.”
The pair's romance began following a date night in London's West End.
Mark said: “She very kindly invited me to the Dirty Dancing press night in London and nobody was expecting us there.
“But people see me from 100 yards. I’d get recognised in the street because of my size - before I was famous. I’m really easy to spot, then when I’m next to this stunning lady, they can spot us a mile off.”
Despite their loftiness and getting extensively photographed together, no one realised they were on a date together.
But there was no doubt a couple’s dynamic was emerging when Mark made a faux pas...one which was also linked to food.
Hayley said: “In the actual show you bought some Maltesers and I was like: ‘Thats actually my favourite chocolate!’”
“I was trying to watch Dirty Dancing and I said: ‘where have the Maltesers gone? and he’d eaten them all.”
She told him he could finish them off, and he’d made the error of believing she meant it.
Mark added: “It was a rookie mistake on my part...but I very quickly bought a second packet.”
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But there was a bigger signal that they were a good match. As the star of one of TV’s biggest shows, she didn’t care that all the attention was on Mark and not her.
So he made the next move, which required him to pluck up alot of courage.
He said: “I can tell you what the capital of Estonia is - Talin - but what does it mean when that pretty girl fires you that funny half smile?
“I can’t read women with the aid of a road map. I am utterly useless at reading people. I’m not autistic but I’m not far away from it.
“But at the end of the evening I was going: ‘I really like her but I can’t pick up a tell if she likes me or not.’ So I thought: let’s take refuge in honesty and I said: ‘I really like you, is there any chance of another date.’”
There second date was a meal at a fancy restaurant where Hayley, who is a reporter for GB News, made an even bigger impression on Mark.
He said: “I scrubbed up well as I was going to a nice restaurant and all I can say was this vision in red came wafting over.
“And afterwards we were walking round hand in hand and it’s just been so comfortable. We’ve sort of been dating for about five or six months.”
