ANT AND DEC IN SPLIT SHOCK!
Pals fear 29-year double act is over
PALS fear TV legends Ant and Dec are believed to be on the verge of splitting up.
The pair have worked together for 29 years after meeting on the set of BBC kids soap Byker Grove.
But now TV sources say they may be going their separate ways as Ant recovers from his painkiller addiction and recent divorce from childhood sweetheart Lisa Armstrong.
Pals reckon their relationship has been strained by Ant’s turbulent year – with Dec, 42, having his loyalty split between his co-star and Lisa, who he has known since she got together with Ant 23 years ago.
Difficult
One said: “Dec will always stand by Ant, but over the years he has become very good friends with Lisa and his wife, Ali, is also very close to her.
“He feels very much torn and it’s a tremendously difficult situation for all concerned.”
The pair could be putting their TV relationship at least on hold.
A close friend of Ant, 42, said: “Ant has been through so he much in the last year, he’s ready for a break.
“He’s got a million things going through his head at the moment and we all think he needs to take some time for himself.
“He has been with Lisa since they were kids, so the break-up of their marriage has really hit him.
“Ant has been famous since he was a teenager, he’s never known a period when he’s not been incredibly busy.”
It’s not known exactly what Ant plans to do but his friends say he could move back to the North East and duck out of the limelight completely.
The source added: “No-one knows how this will pan out, but if he ends up liking his time out of the limelight it might see the end of Ant and Dec.”
After finding fame as actors before launching a singing career, Ant and Dec moved into TV presenting with stints on The X Factor, I’m A Celebrity and Saturday Night Takeaway.
The pair have won dozens of awards, but now Dec is preparing for a career on his own.
The pal added: “Dec knows this means big changes, but he just wants his best friend to be well.
“There’s a good chance he could be back and raring to go in a few months, but for now, it’s up in the air.”