Has Ant Mcpartlin’s drinkdrive crash ruined his squeaky clean image – and his legendary partnership with Dec?
What is going to happen to TV’S dream duo?
For over 20 years, Ant Mcpartlin could do no wrong in the eyes of the nation. Along with his best friend and creative partner Declan Donnelly, he rose to fame as part of the country’s most-loved TV duo. Even Ant’s stint in rehab last summer for addiction to prescription drugs didn’t dent his popularity. But last week, Ant’s world was shattered when he was arrested for drink-driving following a car crash near his London home. It was then revealed he would be heading back to rehab, while Dec would host the last two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway on his own (after the show on 24 March was cancelled).
Throughout his career, Ant has kept up his squeaky clean image, but it seems it was only a matter of time before he cracked under the pressure. His arrest came just two months after he announced his 11-year marriage to Lisa Armstrong was over, which he’s clearly struggled to cope with.
So, what exactly happened and can Ant ever regain his cheeky chappy, family friendly image?
heat has the answers to the questions everyone is asking...
What happened at the crash scene?
On Sunday 18 March, at around 4pm, Ant collided with two other cars after taking his dog for a walk in Richmond Park with his mum Christine. The crash resulted in a four-year-old girl being taken to hospital. CCTV pictures showed Ant getting out of the car looking dazed and confused, and after failing a breathalyser test, he was arrested and spent ten hours in police custody, before being released on bail.
Restaurant owner Faheem Vanoo and his wife Shilpa Dandekar were in one of the cars with daughter Amaira, four, and he has said the whole incident has been a “nightmare”. “I don’t care whether [Ant is] a millionaire or a famous TV star – he could have put my daughter in a wheelchair,” Faheem told reporters, adding, “It has been a terrible experience and it feels like we are coming out of a nightmare. It has left us all a bit shaken up.”
What has he been charged With?
After holing up in his rented west London home before beginning rehab treatment again, Ant was taken to Kingston Police Station on the Wednesday after his arrest, where he was charged with drink-driving. A police spokesperson said, “A man has been charged following a road traffic collision in Lower Richmond Road, SW14 that occurred on Sunday 18 March. Anthony Mcpartlin, of Chiswick, has been charged by postal requisition on Wednesday 21 March with drink-driving. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on 4 April.”
how did dec react?
Clearly upset about his best friend’s very public troubles, Dec released a statement saying that, for the first time ever, he would be presenting without his sidekick. He tweeted, “Whilst I never thought I’d be in this position, after much discussion and careful consideration, we’ve decided that the remaining two shows of this series of Saturday
Night Takeaway will go ahead. We made a promise to take hundreds of deserving winners to Florida to watch the series finale, and we will honour that. Everyone at ITV and the Takeaway team feels we owe it to the audience.”
We’re told that while Dec – who was spotted visiting Ant after he got back from the police station – is “devastated” about Ant’s plight, he’s also worried about their future. “Dec’s main priority is making sure Ant gets better and will support him no matter what,” our source says. “But this affects Dec’s career as well, because they’ve always done everything together. He’s hosting Takeaway on his own and Ant won’t be back for the Britain’s Got Talent live shows, either. Dec has no idea what’s going to happen – it’s a tough time for him, too.”
Will lisa support him?
Although she was left devastated
when Ant officially ended their marriage in January, heat’s insider tells us that Lisa has vowed to be there for him. “Lisa hates seeing Ant this way and thinks she’s the only one who can help him, because they’ve been through so much together,” our source adds. “She’s let him know that she’s there for him whenever he needs her and wants him to take at least a year off, away from the spotlight, to sort himself out. She thinks he came back to TV too soon last time, and she doesn’t want him to make the same mistake again.”
Was his partying out of control?
When he went to rehab last year – for an addiction to painkiller Tramadol following a botched knee operation – he admitted, “I was at the point where anything – prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs – I would take them.” He also confessed he was drinking too much to “numb the pain”, but that he wasn’t an alcoholic. However, we’ve heard he’s enjoyed many wild nights out and even former BGT star Piers Morgan admits he’s taken it too far. “He’s definitely changed, no question. I never would have thought he would do that [get divorced] for example, let alone this,” he revealed. “This Ant Mcpartlin is not the guy I know. His life is faltering and tormented for some reason. The truth is he has never really been the innocent boy that people have pictured him, he has always liked a drink and a laugh and to party. I remember that from our days working on Britain’s Got Talent. But I don’t recognise this guy and I think he has wrestled with that squeaky clean image for a long time. He rebelled against it a bit and has gone too far and now he is in trouble.”
can he recover from this?
While he still has a lot of fans supporting him, many have said drink-driving is an “unforgivable” and “dangerous” offence, so only time will tell if viewers can let him move on. However, car giant Suzuki have axed Ant and Dec’s £20million ad campaign following Ant’s arrest. He is now taking time off for further treatment and is off work indefinitely, although he will be on our screens when BGT returns in April, as the audition stages have already been filmed. Which could prove problematic for ITV – will it feel right to watch him joke with Dec while we know he’s battling his demons in rehab? But while he won’t return for the live shows, we’re told Ant’s hoping he can bounce back when he’s ready. “Ant knows he needs to get better and that’s what he is focusing on,” our source says. “He feels he’s let his fans down, as they’ve been so loyal. He also wants to repay those who have shown him support, especially Dec. He knows it’ll be a long road but he’s determined he will return, better and healthier than ever.” n Kate randall
‘this affects dec, too, because they do everything together’