I'm A Celeb's Ant McPartlin's sadness as he leaves baby Wilder for the jungle
Ant McPartlin is officially Down Under and raring to go for the new series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! - one of TV's top draws - but the presenter could have a very small, very special reason for missing home more than usual this year.
With stars such as Coleen Rooney and Danny Jones gracing the iconic jungle for the new series, Ant has been reunited with his best friend Declan Donnelly for their 22nd year of hosting duties. However, with his wife, Anne-Marie Corbett, and their six-month-old son, Wilder, remaining back at home in the UK, a source told OK! that the strain won’t be easy for the doting new dad.
“Ant is feeling really emotional about being so far away from Anne-Marie and Wilder. It's the longest he has left them for and it's going to be so difficult,” claimed the source.
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Back in May, Ant, 48, became a dad for the first time when Anne-Marie - who is already a mum to two daughters from a previous relationship - gave birth to their son, Wilder. Revealing the news with a sweet Instagram post, where he cradled the newborn, Ant wrote: “Welcome to the family, Wilder Patrick Mcpartlin. Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54 am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess!”
Ant has been married to Anne-Marie, his former personal assistant, since 2021, the couple tying the knot in a stunning ceremony at St Michael's Church in Heckfield. He also enjoys a close bond with Anne-Marie’s two daughters, Daisy and Poppy, and even has a tattoo nod to the three women in his life, with their names inked on his bicep.
And while recent months have seen the family swept up in the craziness of life with a newborn - late nights and multiple nappies included, Ant is now set to spend the next three weeks in Australia for a job he clearly loves, but an absence which, while his little one is still so small and every week brings new milestones, is bound to be bittersweet for the presenter.
Our source said: "Anne-Marie and Ant are going to stay in constant communication and FaceTime lots, but he is worried about the time difference. When he wakes up, Anne Marie will have put Wilder to bed, so, it's tough to navigate. Ant has made sure Anne Marie has a strong support system back home and he knows Wilder will be safe with his mum, he will just be missing them a lot.”
Despite the heartache of leaving his family behind, Ant, of course, has the support - and banter - of his best friend, Dec to distract him, who is joined by his wife, Ali Astall, and their two children, Isla, six, and two-year-old Jack, in Australia.
Detailing their tight-knit bond, the source said: “Dec is so supportive, and Ant gets on so well with Ali and the kids so it's like he's got his second family over there. They’re so close”.
Upon arriving in Australia last week, Ant gleefully said: “I can't wait for the show to begin, it's an incredible cast. It'll be nice to be reunited with Dec and it'll be nice to see him. It will be nice to be reunited with him, he’s had a family holiday. It will be nice to see his tan lines. We will run towards each other on the beach in open arms.”
Wasting no time, Ant was pictured enjoying a breakfast outing with Dec and his family the following day as they took in the Gold Coast sun before I’m A Celeb kicked off. If their friendship wasn’t strong enough before, Ant admitted earlier this year he has even been getting some good parenting advice from Dec. However, Dec quipped back: “I do share tips and things. They're very bad. My tips are normally: give the baby to somebody else! That's it."
From babies to Bushtucker trials, the duo have been hosting the reality show since its launch in 2002, and this year’s highly-anticipated series is tipped to be filled with even more gruesome trials, celeb gossip and entertainment. Alongside WAG Coleen and McFly singer Danny; GK Barry, Tulisa, Barry McGuigan, Melvin Odoom, Oti Mabuse, Alan Halsall, Jane Moore, and Dean McCullough are all campmates. While Love Island star Maura Higgins and presenter Reverend Richard Coles are expected to enter camp as late arrivals.
Detailing that Ant couldn’t be happier with the celeb roster which fans have dubbed 'the best yet', the source added: “Ant loves I'm A Celeb so much and is so dedicated to the show, it is always a highlight in his year. it was bittersweet leaving but he is also so excited for the new series. He loves football and is so happy they've got Coleen in this year, he thinks this line-up could be the best they've had in a long time so he's focusing on that and is happy to be back.”
