Ant McPartlin’s ex-wife Lisa Armstrong was reportedly left heartbroken when she had to find out that he was expecting his first child with wife Anne-Marie Corbett through the press – despite the fact they were said to be ‘friendly’ at the time
Lisa Armstrong ‘s close friend has called out her ex-husband Ant McPartlin for the heartbreaking way she found out he had become a dad.
Britain’s Got Talent star Ant, 48, announced the birth of his first child with second wife Anne-Marie Corbett, 46, on Tuesday afternoon after the couple decided to keep their pregnancy under wraps for several months. Ant is now a proud dad to a son whom the couple called Wilder Patrick McPartlin.
Sharing his happy news with fans on Instagram, Ant, who tied the knot with Anne-Marie in 2021, wrote: “Welcome to the family. Wilder Patrick Mcpartlin. Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess.”
At the same time, Lisa, 47, took to her own Instagram page to share a post about an ongoing “battle”. The quote read: “Be proud of how you have been handling these past few months. The silent battles you’ve fought, the moments you’ve had to humble yourself, the times you’ve wiped your own tears. Celebrate your strength.”
Ant announced that he had become a first-time father on Tuesday
Lisa was in a relationship with Ant for over two decades
Ant’s news came as Lisa marked the fifth anniversary of her father’s death. Lisa paid a sweet tribute on social media, sharing a photo of her late dad Derek’s gravestone, which read: “In loving memory of Dot Armstrong tragically taken on 29.6.1992 and Derek John Armstrong 12.4.1948 – 13.5.2019. Sadly missed husband, dad and grampy. Forever in our hearts.” Lisa captioned the post: “My heart…. 5 years #MyDegs
#MyHero “.
Following the news of Ant’s new fatherhood journey, Lisa’s close friend has said that the star was left ‘heartbroken’ when she discovered that the Geordie TV presenter was set to become a father with his new wife, given that while she was in a relationship with the star for over two decades, they never welcomed any children together. Ant and Lisa called time on their relationship six years ago, in 2018.
The reason Lisa was left so heartbroken about hearing Ant’s baby news, was reportedly due to the fact that she had to find out in the press. Speaking to The Mail, the source claims that Ant never informed Lisa of his life-changing news, and it was an even bigger blow due to the fact he and Lisa were reportedly getting on at the time, having tried to put their tumultuous past behind them.
One of Lisa’s colleagues told the Mail : “Can you imagine having to see that if you’re Lisa? It must literally have left her heartbroken. She tried so hard for their marriage, she tried so hard to save him and when they split she was left without a baby.”
They added: “It is so very sad. It broke poor Lisa, she gave him 23 years of her life, practically all of her adult life. Then when Ant is to be a dad he didn’t even have the decency to tell her. She had to read about it in the Mail. What makes it all the more traumatic is that she and Anne-Marie were friends.”
The pair split in 2018
Ant went on to marry Anne-Marie in 2021
It had appeared that Lisa and Ant may were moving on from their bitter split as she recently showed him some support ahead of his and Declan Donnelly’s final Saturday Night Takeaway show. Lisa liked a post that named Ant and Dec as “simply the best” when talking about their showbiz careers.
Lisa also liked the post which showed Ant and Dec and said: “After 20 years this amazing show is coming to an end it’s been a real joy and pleasure to have been there from the beginning, and in my 30-year career in showbiz I’ve worked with some brilliant people but these two are simply the best! Great friendships and memories made.”
A source recently told OK! Magazine that the like may be a signal that Lisa is willing to show her support once again. They said: “Lisa feels she played an important part in their success – she was there from the very start when Ant and Dec first had the idea. Seeing the show come to an end brought back lots of happy memories.
“It also made her realise that she and Ant were really happy and she now doesn’t want her marriage to him tarnished. Lisa loved him so much and now she just wants everyone to be happy, Ant included.”
