Ant McPartlin ex-wife Lisa Armstrong has broken her silence in light of the news that the TV presenter is expecting his first child.
The 48-year-old has reportedly confirmed to pals that he is set to become a first time father with wife Anne-Marie Corbett, after his long-time desire for a family.
The TV host is said to be ‘beyond delighted’ by the news as he told his Britain’s Got Talent co-stars this week and revealed Anne-Marie, 46, was due in June.
Taking to Instagram for the first time just hours after the news was announced, Lisa paid tribute to the beloved dog she still shares with Ant, Hurley.
The adorable sketch of a dogs paws in it’s owner’s hands read: ‘Thank you for being my dog, someone to do life with, and above all, thank you for being my best friend.’
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Lisa Armstrong has broken her silence after Ant McPartlin reportedly confirmed he’s expecting his first child with wife Anne-Marie Corbett
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The 48-year-old has reportedly confirmed to pals that he is set to become a first time father with wife Anne-Marie, 46, after his long-time desire for a family (pictured in January)
Lisa reposted the drawing alongside some praying hand emojis as she gushed over the chocolate Labrador she still shares custody of with Ant.
During their divorce battle, Ant is said to have told lawyers: ‘She can have anything she wants – except the dog’, as the former couple reportedly agreed to take it in turns to look after Hurley.
Ant previously revealed in a candid 2013 interview that he and Lisa experienced a ‘tough’ battle trying to conceive.
Ant and Strictly Come Dancing make-up artist Lisa were married in 2006 and tried for a baby for several years, before divorcing in 2018 without any children.
He told Radio Times in 2013: ‘There’s a rumour that I’m holding off having kids till [co-host Declan Donnelly] finds himself Mrs Right’.
‘I love that idea, but I’m afraid it’s not true. Lisa and I would love to have kids. We’re trying. It’s tougher than you think when you get a bit older.’
According to The Sun Ant had already confided the wonderful news in close friend and onscreen partner Declan Donnelly following weeks of speculation.
Anne-Marie, who has two children from her previous marriage, is believed to have already had her five-month scan which allowed the couple to confidently let the cat out of the bag.
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Taking to Instagram for the first time just hours after the news was announced, Lisa paid tribute to the beloved dog she still shares with Ant, Hurley
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During their divorce battle, Ant is said to have told lawyers: ‘She can have anything she wants – except the dog’ (Lisa pictured with dog Hurley)
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Ant previously revealed in a candid 2013 interview that he and Lisa experienced a ‘tough’ battle trying to conceive (pictured at their wedding in 2006)
A source told the publication: ‘This is the news everyone wanted. Ant and Anne- Marie are beyond delighted’.
‘It’s no secret that Ant has always wanted children, but that it may never happen for him was something he had, sadly, come to terms with’.
They went on to describe Ant as a ‘wonderful doting father’ to Anne-Marie’s children and said the couple did everything they could to keep the news a secret for as long as possible.
Adding: ‘To be having a child two years short of his 50th birthday, with the love of his life, is the stuff of dreams for Ant’.
MailOnline have contacted Ant’s reps for comment.
There have been rumours swirling for some months that the couple might be expecting – particularly after Anne-Marie decided against flying to Australia to be at her husband’s side as while he hosted ITV’s I’m A Celebrity.
The pair got together after meeting while she worked for Ant and his former wife, Lisa.
Friends previously told MailOnline’s Katie Hind that Lisa would be ‘very upset’ if her former partner’s happy news was confirmed – because she too was desperate to become a mother.
In fact, it is believed that she and Ant tried for a baby for several years and she was devastated when their marriage ended in 2018, still childless.
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The TV host is said to be ‘beyond delighted’ by the news as he told his Britain’s Got Talent co-stars recently and revealed the little one was due in June (pictured together in 2021)
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Anne-Marie, who has two children from her previous marriage, is believed to have already had her five-month scan which allowed the couple to confidently let the cat out of the bag (pictured together in 2023)
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There have been rumours swirling for some months that the couple might be expecting after Anne-Marie decided against flying to Australia while Ant hosted I’m A Celebrity (Ant and Dec pictured with winner Sam Thompson)
For make-up artist Lisa what has made it harder is that Anne-Marie worked for them as a PA before she began dating the I’m A Celeb star.
A friend said in December: ‘Anne-Marie was Lisa’s friend, and she was heavily involved in getting her the job working for the McPartlins.
‘Lisa would send Anne-Marie’s children birthday and Christmas presents, she even went on holiday with them, and then bang, it all changed.’
Ant and Lisa – a former singer in the now defunct pop band Deuce – married in 2006 at a lavish ceremony at Cliveden House in Berkshire.
Ant & Anne-Marie’s £500k wedding costs
Bride arrived in a £300k black Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Bride wore a £15,000 bespoke floor-length dress by designer Suzanne Neville
Guests arrived in a £30k Mercedes Benz people carrier
The Grade II listed church cost £25 for a daytime hire
The reception took place at Heckfield Place, with Ant reportedly shelling out £110k to put 100 guests up for the night
Bridal suite cost £5k for the wedding night
They split in September 2018 after he checked into rehab for addiction issues.
A lengthy divorce battle followed, mostly over the TV star’s £60million fortune.
Rumours that the couple had split emerged in autumn 2017 after Lisa did not accompany Ant to Australia for I’m A Celeb.
She denied there were problems at the time, pointing out that she had a job and had not been to Australia for years.
But Ant’s representative announced in January 2018 that the couple’s 11 year marriage had ended.
Ant began to be linked with his personal assistant Anne-Marie just weeks later in March 2018.
Lisa was said to have indicated her disapproval of the relationship by liking a fan’s tweet which said it was ‘a major girl code breach’ to ‘start shacking up with your wife’s friend’.
Her and Ant’s marriage officially ended in October 2018 when she was granted a decree nisi after he admitted adultery.
Lisa split from her most recent partner, James, 40, in August 2023 after he surprisingly ended their romance and moved out of her £4.5m London home while she was working in Manchester.
Insiders close to the former couple have told MailOnline their relationship turned toxic over money, as Lisa claims she loaned him cash during their time together back, but he’s resisting all approaches.
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The pair got together after meeting while she worked for Ant and his former wife, Lisa Armstrong (pictured in 2021)
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Friends previously told MailOnline’s Katie Hind that Lisa would be ‘very upset’ if her former partner’s happy news was confirmed – because she too was desperate to become a mother (pictured 2015)
Lisa and James dated for three years and the electrician was her most serious relationship since her high-profile divorce from husband Ant, in which she received a reported £31m payout.
James was working for a company installing electric doors when they met, having recently moved out of the £450,000 family home he shared with ex-wife Kirsty in Winchester, Hampshire.
But James shocked Lisa by breaking up with her totally unannounced and moved his belongings out of her home when she was away.
A source told MailOnline at the time: ‘I don’t really know what has gone wrong. The two of them were only on a swanky holiday together in the Caribbean or somewhere about eight weeks ago.
‘He was with her one day, and he just wasn’t with her the next day. There was no inkling that anything was wrong.’
Despite the surprise split, friends told how the pair were initially on amicable terms but that is no longer the case, mainly in part to Lisa’s demands for her money back.
A friend of James said: ‘When Lisa gave him that money, he thought it was in good grace – he didn’t see it as a loan with strict conditions to pay it back by a certain time.
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Lisa split from her most recent partner, James, 40, in August 2023 after he surprisingly ended their romance and moved out of her £4.5m London home while she was working in Manchester
‘It’s all got rather messy and Lisa threatening him with legal action is obviously concerning given her financial power.’
Sharing joint custody of Hurley, the arrangement led to the TV presenter’s chauffeur ferrying the dog between the two of them so they did not have to see each other.
It was reported in February last year that Lisa wanted her pet to live with her full time.
She is said to have argued that it was only fair as Ant also had two maltipoo dogs – Maltese and poodle crossbreeds – called Milo and Bumble.
