£60m divorce ‘brought Ant’s demons back’
Friends say ‘drink-drive’ smash is sign of strain
THE demons Ant McPartlin thought he had vanquished resurfaced as he struggled to cope with his marriage breakdown, friends said last night.
Sources close to the TV host, who is checking back into rehab after his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving, said he has been shaken by his looming £60million divorce from wife of 11 years Lisa.
Family and friends were convinced he had quit binge-drinking after his addiction to painkillers was revealed last year.
But a pal said: “It seems to be the realisation that everything he had with Lisa has slipped from his grasp and with the divorce coming up it seems so final for him. It is hitting him hard again.”
Ant, 42, was involved in a collision with two cars in Richmond, West London, on Sunday while out with mum Christine.
Amaira Vanoo, four, needed a check-up after her parents’ Mini was hit, with dad Faheem claiming the star could have “wiped out” the family. Ant was arrested after failing a roadside breathalyser test.
ITV has cancelled this week’s episode of Saturday Night Takeaway and the star will not be seen again this series.
An insider said: “Christine was very shaken up by the crash, the whole experience. She had never been involved in anything like that before.
“He was not addicted to drink. He liked a few drinks now and again, but we don’t think Anthony is hiding bottles of whisky, he is not like that. Being on TV has kept him busy, kept his mind off other things. So this is going to be hard for him now.”
Ant’s divorce from Strictly Come Dancing make-up artist Lisa, with whom he shares Labrador Hurley, was revealed in January. And friends say his road accident is a case of the strain showing.
One pal said: “Its been a very tough time with the breakdown of his marriage. Things haven’t been easy whatsoever. He was tremendously sad he couldn’t rescue the situation and things have escalated.”
Another source added: “I think the divorce is playing on his mind. He is not bothered about the money, that has never been a factor for him.”
When the split emerged, Christine, 61, moved from Newcastle to support Ant and look after Hurley while he and Lisa, 41, worked. She has even been going to the Saturday Night Takeaway studio during filming.
The source said: “His mum has been there for him for weeks. She has tried to look out for him.”
Friends say Ant spent a week with pop star Robbie Williams while he was in LA last year getting help for his addiction to painkillers following a “botched” operation on his knee in 2015. Things apparently went so well there, he could return.
A source said: “He stayed with Robbie and he was very happy there. He seemed to have got through his treatment last time and seemed to be doing well. Going back in may be a good thing now.” Amaira was travelling with her dad and mum Shilpa Dandekar when their Mini was in a head-on collision with Ant’s Mini. The crash on Sunday left them “shocked and dazed” but without any serious injuries. The Met Police said Ant was “taken to a South London station for questioning and released under investigation”. On Monday, it was confirmed Ant would take a break after talks with ITV and co-host Declan Donnelly, 42. Ant’s publicist said: “Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his TV commitments. He has asked for time off for the foreseeable future.”