Ant and ex-wife Lisa's relationship now from dog row to 'peace talk attempt'
Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong were together for over two decades before their 11-year marriage came to a crashing end in 2017.
The I'm A Celeb presenter shocked the showbiz world when he announced that he was splitting from his wife Lisa, eight months after leaving rehab in January 2018. The celebrity make-up artist had loyally stood by him when his career was rocked by a drug addiction scandal.
It's been seven years since Ant and Lisa unexpectedly split. In a statement at the time, a representative said: "Ant is very sad to announce that, after 11 years, he is ending his marriage to Lisa McPartlin. Ant asks for privacy at this difficult time, for both himself, Lisa and their immediate families."
The celebrity couple tied the knot in 2006 (FilmMagic)
They reportedly rowed about finances and dog custody (Getty Images)It came as a shock, with Ant shutting down rumours of a rocky relationship before his first rehab stint in 2017. He said: "I've put Lisa through hell with mood swings and depression and how it affects you. I'm very sorry about the effect it has on partners."
When asked if their marriage could survive, Ant went on: "All I can say at the moment is that she's been amazing. This kind of stuff puts strains on any marriage. But we're good. She's been fantastic throughout rehab. Very supportive."
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But in January 2018, their relationship was over and two months later, Ant was arrested after drunkenly crashing his car in Richmond, following reports they'd had a blazing row over the custody arrangements for their chocolate Labrador Hurley, who they'd shared since 2011.
Days after his arrest, Ant was told to report to his local police station to be formally charged. He showed up with his lawyer and Anne-Marie - once Lisa's good friend and the couple's PA. In April 2018, Ant was banned from the road for 20 months and fined £86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal limit.
Lisa found love again with electrician James before splitting last year (lisaarmstrongmakeup/Instagram)
Ant married his former personal assistant Anne-Marie in 2021 (Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock)Lisa revealed on Twitter the first she'd heard about Ant and Anne-Marie was through the papers like everyone else, and accused the mum-of-two of breaking 'girl code'. Anne-Marie previously worked for the married couple for six years and even organised their 10th wedding anniversary party in 2016.
Insiders insisted they only grew close when Ant entered rehab for a second time in March 2018. They went public in June and Ant took a further blow to Lisa by crediting his recovering from addiction to his new girlfriend.
In October 2018, Ant and Lisa were granted a decree nisi in a hearing that lasted under 30 seconds. According to documents, Lisa filed for divorce because he became 'intolerable to live with'. Ant admitted adultery as his relationship with Anne-Marie began when they were still married - although separated.
In a further blow for Lisa, she was dropped as a make-up artist for Britain's Got More Talent after 10 years on the show in December 2018, because it was "untenable" working with her ex. Her axing was to ensure his return to TV went "smoothly with no unnecessary distractions", a source said at the time.
The source added: "Although everyone is very fond of Lisa, it was clearly untenable to carry on working together. Ant and Dec are two of the most senior people on the show, sometimes these tough decisions have to be made." Friends of Lisa said that she had been expecting to be dropped.
Ant moved in with Anne-Marie and her two daughters from her previous marriage to businessman Scott Corbett, whom she divorced in 2017. In 2020, it was reported that Lisa received more than half of Ant's £50million fortune in their divorce settlement, which she blasted as 'nonsense' on Twitter. It was claimed Ant told pals he was 'thrilled' to have settled his divorce with Lisa and vowed to focus on moving on with Anne-Marie.
Lisa and Ant's Labrador Hurley used to split his time between them (SplashNews.com)
Then last year, it was claimed Lisa demanded full custody of her 'best friend' (Twitter)It was claimed Lisa would own the couple's marital £5million home in London, while they would split custody of their dog Hurley. , Ant's chauffeur was said to have driven the pooch between houses so they didn't have to see each other.
But in 2023, it was reported Ant and Lisa were still battling for custody of the Lab. After Ant moved on with his new family and got two maltipoos, Lisa reportedly demanded full custody. Lisa often posts about Hurley on her social media and praises him for being her 'best friend'.
Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong 'in fresh custody battle over their dog Hurley'
A source told the Daily Mail: "Lisa has asked to have Hurley but Ant is saying no. He has two more dogs now, a new wife and two stepdaughters, but still he wants joint custody. It has led to some difficult conversations between Ant and Lisa. It's all very sad. Ant has been able to move on, get remarried and get two more dogs. Lisa has been left to pick up the pieces."
In 2020, Lisa went on to date a Sky electrician named James Green, 40, and "found happiness a second time around". In April 2023, a source told Closer: "She can't speak for Ant, but she's really happy in her new relationship, plus work is going great and she's loving life.
"She's reached out for peace talks and really wants things to work out OK between them, but hasn't heard anything back yet." But Lisa's relationship didn't end well and the couple split 'out of the blue' months later. Lisa was forced to shut down claims she was considering taking him to court.
A source told the Daily Mail: "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."
In August 2021, Ant and Anne-Marie tied the knot and exchanged vows in a stunning historic church in the sleepy Hampshire village of Heckfield. Guests included Frank Lampard and wife Christine, Cat Deeley and husband Patrick Kielty, Dermot O'Leary and partner Dee Koppang, and Alesha Dixon with her partner.
At the end of last year, it was reported Lisa has plans to move to the USA and start a new career in Hollywood, to put her recent relationship breakdown and divorce behind her. The make-up artist is said to want to escape past troubles and heartaches for a new life in sunny California with her actor friend Craig Young.
It has been suggested she will be looking for work while she is there and could end up fully transferring herself to the City of Angels. A source told Closer magazine in November that Lisa had been through a "really rough time" recently had "been in a dark place".
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