Inside Ant McPartlin and wife Anne-Marie's romance - as he 'arrives in Australia alone' for I'm A Celeb
Ant McPartlin and his wife Anne-Marie proudly welcomed their first child together, a baby boy, earlier this year. The couple, who tied the knot in 2021, announced the exciting news of their baby's arrival in a sweet post as Ant confessed he was a "mess". The Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celeb host, 48, shared a beautiful black-and-white snap of him holding his newborn son on Tuesday, 14 May via Instagram. The post also came with a sweet tribute to his two stepdaughters, Daisy and Poppy, who are Anne-Marie's two children from a previous relationship.
Ant wrote the caption: "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!" And the arrival of baby Wilder could explain why Ant appeared to arrive in Australia alone earlier this week, without his wife or his newborn, with the suggestion she's staying at home with the children while he presents the latest I'm A Celeb series Down Under.
The star got straight to catching up with his best pal Declan Donnelly as they headed out to breakfast together. Dec, who arrived Down Under earlier in the week, took his wife Ali Astall, and their children Isla, six, and Jack, two, along for the meet-up.
READ MORE: Declan Donnelly's love life - I'm A Celeb romance rumours to 'painful' split
So let's take a look inside Ant and Anne-Marie's relationship, from how they met to their fairy-tale wedding...
Controversial start
The start of Ant and Anne-Marie's relationship wasn't particularly romantic, with the couple hit with claims of betrayal as Ant publicly battled addiction issues alongside navigating a new partnership. When Ant first went into rehab in 2017, he apologised to his then-wife Lisa Armstrong for 'putting her through hell'.
But after another stint in rehab following a drink-drive crash in 2018, it was Anne-Marie, their former personal assistant, who he leaned on. Rumours of a romance between Ant and Anne-Marie started swirling in June 2018, six months after he announced his split from Lisa.
Lisa was furious, claiming she found out about it through the media and tweeted: "Yeah My Friend and OUR PA who I let into OUR home??" Ant and Lisa had been friends with Anne-Marie and her husband Scott, even attending the christening of their daughter in 2009.
Anne-Marie had organised Ant and Lisa's 10th wedding anniversary party in 2016. However, things turned sour when Anne-Marie became 'house manager' for Ant and his TV partner Declan Donnelly in 2012. Lisa later accused Anne-Marie of 'breaking the girl code' by dating her ex, a claim that Ant dismissed as 'absolute rubbish'.
Ant opened up about his relationship, saying: "I don't feel the need to defend Anne-Marie but I will say you've got to be careful judging other people's relationships or what you think is the truth that's been put out there," as he spoke to The Sun. Friends close to Ant stressed that Anne-Marie played no role in his split from his ex-wife Lisa, and likewise, Ant wasn't involved in the end of Anne-Marie's previous marriage.
People close to the situation said that Ant and Anne-Marie only became close after Ant went back into rehab in March 2018 following a drink driving charge. Anne-Marie had been seen supporting Ant, even making him a packed lunch for work some days, and she was right by his side during his police station visit and court appearance.
The former PA has two daughters from her previous marriage to businessman Scott Corbett, whom she divorced in 2017, making Ant a step-dad. In an interview with The Telegraph, Ant spoke about being step-dad to the two girls as he and Dec launched a new media course for underprivileged youngsters in partnership with The Prince's Trust.
"I've got two step-daughters, 13 and 15 and they are more socially aware at that age than I was in my mid-20s," Ant told the publication. "Than I still am."
He went on: "It's not going to be our generation that saves the world. Look at Greta Thunberg, single-handedly almost making the world aware of climate change. It’s that kind of energy that this generation has got and they’ll save the rest of us. We’re just trying to make it easier for them."
Fairy tale wedding
In August 2021, Ant and Anne-Marie Corbett tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at St Michael's Church in Heckfield after getting engaged the previous Christmas. They were joined by their nearest and dearest, as well as a host of celebrity friends.
The couple, who have been together since 2018, had a star-studded guest list for their special day. This included Phillip Schofield, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, Dermot O'Leary, Christine Lampard, and of course, Ant's best mate and TV co-star, Declan Donnelly, who was also his best man.
Anne-Marie wore a bespoke Suzanne Neville dress that was one-shouldered with a fitted corset, complete with a full skirt and train and hand-embellished floral detailing. Apparently, Suzanne's team hand-sewed each floral detail individually.
The couple's beloved dogs were missing from the ceremony, so the pair decided to include them in their wedding cake. It's said the three-tiered design was complete with figurines of their three dogs - Labrador, Harley and Maltipoos, Milo and Bumble, and was created by one of London's most esteemed bakeries. Their lavish wedding was rumoured to have cost a cool £500,000.
Baby news
It was rumoured earlier this year that Ant and Anne-Marie were expecting their first child together after three years of marriage. According to The Sun, a source previously commented on the baby news, saying: “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.
"When they found out last year, they were absolutely delighted, but obviously kept the news quiet for as long as possible. 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.
"He’s already a wonderful, doting father to Anne-Marie’s kids, and together they’re going to be brilliant parents to this latest addition to the family."
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! begins on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday, 14 November at 9pm
