Mark Labbett’s ex-girlfriend has finally addressed their split – admitting she was “blindsided” when The Chase star allegedly broke up with her.
Sky Entertainment reporter Hayley Palmer, 42, recently celebrated her one-year anniversary with Mark, 58, but just a short while later they decided to part ways. Hayley told Femail that she felt “betrayal PTSD” rom the split, suffering from panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares.
Hayley claims Mark phoned her to tell her he no longer wanted to divorce his previous wife, and ended their relationship. Mark is still married to Katie Labbett, who he was with for seven years before he met Hayley. The pair reportedly had “heated discussions” about his impending divorce.
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Now the journalist has told Femail: “I put the phone down and had a panic attack. I was walking around in a daze for about three hours, not knowing where I was going.”
She branded the call “excruciating” and said: “Heartbreak isn’t even the word.” She added: “I couldn't get out of bed I was so low, physically I was completed wiped out. The first day it happened, my friend said, ‘Get on the tube to my house’, but I couldn't... because my body wasn't functioning at all.”
Hayley compared the end of their relationship to a “death”, admitting: “It feels like going through the stages of grief.” She doubts she’ll ever get over the “shock” of being broken up with over the phone.
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It comes after Mark detailed his plans for their one-year anniversary – just weeks before their split. Speaking to The Sun, he said: “We found a bench in a peaceful spot by the beach and spent hours talking and getting to know each other, so we’ve decided to go back to celebrate our anniversary.
“As luck would have it, there’s a rather nice Beefeater near to where her parents live. They already know Hayley’s order — nachos and chips.” He added at the time: “We went on national TV the week before, if I had any idea in my head that it wasn't going to be forever, there's no way I'd go on TV and talk about how happy we were.”
Now Hayley says she’s been told by a mental health specialist that she may be suffering from “betrayal trauma”, which is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by a violation of trust. She said she felt “humiliated” after the pair went their separate ways as their romance had been so “very public”.
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She said: “I felt very vulnerable. We could have talked it through with how we would deal with the press. Just having that phone call and leaving me out to dry was a lot to take.”
Now Hayley says she “doesn’t give second chances” – and despite leaving her things at Mark’s flat and in his car, she isn’t worried about getting them back because her mental state is her priority.
Daily Star has contacted Mark’s representatives for comment.