MARK LABBETT ‘MY SON WILL BE THE BABY BEAST’
THE CHASER HAS BIG PLANS FOR HIS BOY
After three years away due to the global pandemic, Mark Labbett – aka ‘The Beast’ – has returned once more to our shores to go up against Australia’s best and brightest on The Chase Australia.
Known for being one of the toughest Chasers in the quiz show’s history, Mark doesn’t plan to go easy on our local competitors.
“I always say when I’m around, everyone else is second best,” Mark jokes to New Idea. “I see it as my job to put up a fair test for them. If you win because you’re better than me, then good on you, but I never want to feel that I have given money away.”
He might be intimidating on-screen, but in real life Mark is a big softie – especially when it comes to his 5-year-old son, Lawrence. Despite his tender age, Mark thinks Lawrence has what it takes to follow in his footsteps and become ‘The Baby Beast’.
“I always joke that my master plan is to hang on to this role for the next
20 years and then ‘The Baby Beast’ can take over, because I think he has got the brains for it,” he says. “I mean, I will let him enjoy his life and do what he wants to do, but I think he will have the raw tools to be a Chaser.”
Of course, natural talent can only take you so far, so Mark admits that he never stops studying for the gig.
“Oh, I’m learning all the time,” he adds. “As it happens, I played one game today and three or four questions were on things I had learnt in the past few months. There are a few questions about Australian geography too, so thankfully I studied the map on the flight over.” And as for his thoughts on the new host, Larry Emdur, Mark reveals that he is one of his top three favourite hosts. “Larry has been the fifth Chase host I have worked with,” he says. “But he is a pro to work with and he’s very generous ... he lets you do your thing while he does his. He is just so easy to work with.”
THE CHASE AUSTRALIA, MON. – FRI. 5PM ON SEVEN