The pair initially met at the National Television Awards in October last year, and their first conversation revolved around an exclusive Toby Carvery gold card.
The card has been given to a select few, including Danny Dyer and Chloe Ferry, and seemingly means they can dine out at the restaurant for free.
Mark, 57, used his possession of the card as a wooing tactic.
‘I thought, “We’re getting on quite well here — let’s get the big guns out”.’
Luckily for him, it worked! ‘I was actually really impressed. I thought, “I haven’t seen this before”,’ recalled Hayley to The Sun.
Hayley, 41, was the one to make the next move when she invited him to attend the Dirty Dancing press night with her in January.
They had an enjoyable evening, and Mark, who has starred on the ITV quiz show since it began in 2009, was impressed with how she handled the attention on him but was unsure if his feelings were reciprocated.
‘I can’t read women with the aid of a road map. I am utterly useless,’ he admitted.
‘At the end of the evening, I was going, “I really like her but I can’t pick up if she likes me or not”.
‘So I thought, let’s take refuge in honesty and said, “I really like you, is there any chance of another date?”‘
She happily accepted, and the pair have now been dating for six months.
Despite their substantial amount of time getting to know each they’ve only been on a few dates. This is due to the distance between them – Hayley lives in London’s Chelsea, while Mark is in Rotherham.
Although, he is considering a move to the UK capital and the pair were able to bond while on a trip to Los Angeles.
One thing that doesn’t bother him is their age gap.
‘Obviously, I’m a little bit older than her, but I think it depends on who you’re with. I’d argue I’m a very childish 57,’ he pointed out.
Mark was previously married to Katie, 31, and the pair share son Lawrence. In 2020, he blamed their 27-year age gap and lockdown for their marital woes.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : The Chase strikes gold as all four contestants share names with Spice Girls – and Bradley Walsh had no idea
MORE : Bradley Walsh walks off The Chase in disbelief as worst cash-builder wins big: ‘That’s going down in history’
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Entertainment News Click Here
