'Supermarket Sweep' Couple Tim and Mark Go Viral — "Just Celebrated Our 41st Anniversary"

Those of us old enough to remember the all-in-good-fun original game show Supermarket Sweep will always affectionately think back on those days home sick from school when the show would come on and we were instantly glued to our TVs.

A couple that competed on the show back in the 1990s, Tim Leach and Mark Dammann, are resurfacing in popularity due to reruns of Supermarket Sweep and social media.

Read on to find out the adorable story behind their relationship, which wasn't out when they filmed their episode but has definitely stood the test of time.

In their original episode, which aired in 1991, contestants Tim and Mark said they were business partners.

Viewers may have wondered if there was more to their relationship, but at the time, they weren't saying.

But after going viral in late July 2024, Tim shared an update with fans. "Just celebrated our 41st anniversary," he said. "Married in 2008 on our 25th anniversary as soon as it was legal in California."

He also set the record straight that he and Mark were always business partners as well, sharing that they designed and painted backdrops and sets for over 25 years.

Talking to Slate, the couple explained why they didn't say they were together when they filmed their Supermarket Sweep episode.

"Well, there were some family members, grandparents and things, who still didn’t know," Tim told the outlet, with Mark adding, "And my parents still didn’t know."

But behind the scenes, Tim says everyone knew the truth about his relationship with Mark. "We were pretty open about it with the other contestants and the producers," he told Slate. "We were out in our everyday lives. It was just on the air we kept it quiet."

Sadly, some of Tim and Mark's family members never learned the truth about their love for one another.

"When we’d been dating 11 years, I still hadn’t told them, and my mom died," Mark confessed, adding, "Tim’s dad died the same year."

As Tim explained, his longtime partner said, '“I feel so much regret about never having that conversation with my mom. There’s a part of me she never knew."'

So, they considered telling Mark's dad.

Mark's dad did not know before he told him, but in the end, became a big support system for the couple.

And sweetly, with their episode of the iconic game show going viral, the couple has had the opportunity to reflect on what they would tell younger versions of themselves.

"I’d just want to say that everything’s gonna be OK, and you can be yourself. Embrace who you are, whatever that means. Life has been pretty great," Tim said.

For Mark, he'd let himself know life won't always be easy, but that he'd weather the "rough patches."

"And as long as we have each other, you’ll make it. And it’s been 41 years, and we’ve made it," Mark said.