Having just celebrated their first anniversary and declaring their love on daytime TV, Hayley Palmer and Mark Labbett’s relationship appeared to be going from strength to strength. But just days later, towards the end of May, Hayley, 42, revealed that their romance had come to an abrupt end after she received a call from The Chase star, known on telly as The Beast, telling her it was over.
With reports that Mark blamed their 16-year age gap for the breakup and that his Rotherham location versus Hayley’s London base caused tension, fans were baffled because just days before the pair both shared pictures of themselves looking loved up. “We went on Loose Women the week before we split up to talk about how happy we were,” says Hayley.
Hayley Palmer and Mark Labbett appeared on Loose Women just a week before they split
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“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.
“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.”
Announcing their split in a post uploaded to her Instagram Stories, TV reporter Hayley revealed that she and Mark had gone their separate ways and added that they’d had the “best year together”. However, as she tried to navigate her sudden heartbreak, Hayley admits her mental health took a hit over the following weeks.
“My friend asked, ‘Can you just get on the Tube and come to me?’ And I literally couldn’t,” she says. “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.”
Hayley said she had ‘a panic attack on the spot’ when Mark called to end their relationship
(Image: Instagram/Hayley Palmer)
With Hayley’s job being in front of the cameras, viewers may have become accustomed to her smiley, upbeat personality. But beneath the surface, it couldn’t have been more different as she attempted to pick up the pieces.
“The thing with me is I’m such a bubbly person and I’m very, very positive,” she says. “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.”
As a result of the split, Hayley says she experienced a whole host of physical symptoms. “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.”
It was only after sharing her story online that Hayley came across the term ‘betrayal trauma’, which occurs when a person has their trust violated. She then began counselling – something she credits as helping her to move on.
‘I was making it through the day, putting on a good show, but underneath just totally crumbling’
(Image: Instagram/Hayley Palmer)
“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.
“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,’” Hayley recalls.
“She told me not to worry and that it was to be expected after the complete shock I’d had to my system. She reassured me that other people had been through the same and just to take a deep breath. She just really helped me.”
Two months on from their separation, Hayley is still having counselling and she is keen to encourage others in a similar situation to consider it. After opening up about her experience, she has found solace in the stories of others and has even cultivated a community of people with broken hearts.
“It melts my heart. They just tell me everything that they’re going through,” she says. “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.”
Hayley said she is ‘absolutely not’ going to give up on love
(Image: Instagram)
Moving forward, Hayley, who says that she doesn’t “give second chances” is slowly returning to her former self. For the first time in weeks, the entertainment journalist, who appears regularly on GB News, revealed that she’s finally been able to reflect on the breakup without being overcome by emotion.
As for dating, while she may not be ready for a relationship just yet, Hayley says she’s focusing on herself. “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 says.
“As I get better, I’d be open to that.” While she may not have found her happy ending just yet, she is as positive as ever about her personal life.
“I see good in people,” she says. “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 spokeswoman for Mark Labbett declined to comment.
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