PAAs his best friend embarks on the trials and tribulations of divorce, Declan Donnelly is faced with a difficult decision and told a friend he feels ‘torn’.
As we have seen, Dec is loyal to his long-time partner and friend Ant McPartlin, but as their lives have meshed together as close confidants and colleagues, so have those of their wives, Ali Astall and Lisa Armstrong.
He feels very much torn as the sad news of Lisa and Ant’s divorce was announced, and it’s a tremendously difficult situation for all concerned, after his own wife has become ‘a shoulder to cry on for Lisa’, reports The Mirror.
GettyAnt is divorcing Lisa, 41, over health concerns after battling drug addiction, after a tough year for the couple.
McPartlin has plans to pay his wife £31 million in a record-breaking celebrity divorce settlement, sources claim, after it was announced the pair would be parting ways this weekend.
The I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here presenter is willing to part with half his fortune upon splitting from his wife of 11 years in the name of an amicable divorce.
An unnamed source weighed in on their private lives, telling The Sun:
It’s a huge amount but he wants Lisa to be financially and emotionally supported. He wants things to be amicable and doesn’t want a drawn out court battle with Lisa.
He still views her as a best friend and wants them both to be able to walk away from the marriage positively. He is happy to give Lisa 50 per cent in the divorce if that is what is agreed by their lawyers.
ITV2017 was a tough year for Ant, as well as his nearest and dearest.
The TV stalwart checked into rehab this summer – battling an addiction to prescription drugs, painkillers and alcohol – and reports suggest the ordeal has put a strain on his marriage.
Days before Ant filed for divorce on January 14, Lisa – who has admirably chosen to remain quiet on the subject – has shared a farewell message to 2017, waving goodbye to a rubbish year. Literally.
— Lisa Armstrong (@lisaAmakeup) January 1, 2018
Far be it for us to assume what’s going on behind closed doors, members of the family have said the pair, who were married for 11 years after meeting on the Smash Hits tour in 1994 when Ant was 18 and Lisa was 17, have been living separately.
In a statement to The Sun on Sunday, Ant’s representatives confirmed divorce proceedings are underway.
ITVIt read:
In response to the recent speculation in the media, 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. No further statement will be made.
GettyA source who the Sunday Mirror claims is close to the family said:
Ant has had a dreadful year, but Lisa has gone through hell too. The intense pressure of the situation left her emotionally drained and was really taking its toll.
Back in October she was terribly stressed and worried and seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was clear to those close to her she was brokenhearted.
But it’s obvious she’s been so much happier since they’ve been living apart – especially when he flew to Australia to film I’m A Celebrity.
ITVAnt bravely battled his addiction and got back to good health, in order to carry out his presenting duties with lifelong partner and friend, Declan Donnelly, after Dec refused to host without Ant.
The took to the jungle once again to present ITV’s I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here and pulled it off with their usual flair and comedy stylings.
You can watch them at their best below:
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Ant, who also hosts Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent, is estimated to be worth £62 million.
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A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.