Wife’s agony as Ant checks into rehab
ANT McPartlin’s wife and his best friend Dec Donnelly thanked fans for their outpouring of love yesterday after the TV star entered rehab for drink and prescription drugs problems.
Ant, 41, will spend two months in a clinic being treated for addictions he said were brought on when he used painkillers to relieve pain from botched knee surgery two years ago.
Wife Lisa Armstrong tweeted on the couple’s account: “Completely overwhelmed by all your love and support it means so much.
“I’m relieved he’s receiving the help he needs, we just need him better.”
Dec wrote: “Thank you for all the kind messages and well wishes for the big fella. He will be touched. Your support is, as ever, much appreciated.”
Yesterday it emerged how McPartlin broke down as he admitted his addiction to Dec, 41, saying: “I need help mate. I need help now.”
He added: “The first step is to admit to yourself you need help. I’ve let a lot of people down and for that I am truly sorry.”
But showbusiness colleagues and fans said he should concentrate on getting well.
Apprentice presenter Lord Sugar tweeted: “Very brave of Ant to go public. This is the first stage of the road to recovery. All the best Ant it will all be sorted for sure.”
Olympic athlete Dame Kelly Holmes said: “As I say at every speech I do we are all human. Best wishes to Ant. You will come back stronger, your fans love you.”
Piers Morgan added: “Few nicer people in show business than Ant McPartlin. Wish him all the best as he sorts himself out.”
One fan tweeted: “Absolutely gutted for Ant McPartlin. Everyone has problems at some point and so many people will stick with him through this.”
McPartlin’s woes began two years ago when he had a cartilage operation at an unnamed hospital which he said was “botched” and left him in agony.
His punishing work schedule and failure to conceive a longed-for child with Lisa, who he married in 2006, also put their marriage under strain.
To ease the pain he mixed the prescription painkiller tramadol with alcohol.
Ant and Dec were regulars at bars and pubs near their £5million homes in Chiswick, west London.
As part of their huge deal with ITV, Ant and Dec work solidly from the start of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in November until June.
They are especially busy from February onwards with filming commitments for Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent.
The pair have 31 National Television Awards and six months ago were awarded OBEs.
Ant continued to be active and said nothing about the pain. But colleagues on the set of BGT noticed that he looked tired and drawn.
Fans’ fears were aroused when he appeared to be struggling to walk in the opening scenes of one of the semi finals last month.
On Tuesday Ant had corrective surgery on his right knee at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.