Lisa: ‘I didn’t think Ant could stoop any Lower

The estranged couple are fighting again

‘Lisa’s not going anywhere quietly – she owes him nothing’

There’s no escaping from your heartache when you’ve broken up with one of the most famous men in the UK. And Lisa Armstrong has told friends she’s struggling to cope, after a week spent being confronted by pictures of her estranged husband, Ant Mcpartlin on a loved-up holiday in Florence with his new girlfriend. In fact, the only thing getting her through right now is chatting to her Strictly mates.

“She really feels like Ant is rubbing her nose in it,” says an insider close to the BBC make-up artist, who split from the presenter in January. “Those holiday pics were so hard for her to see. She’s trying to throw herself into work, but it’s not easy.” As the pictures hit the internet last week, Lisa, 41, posted a crying emoji on Twitter. She also retweeted a follower who wrote, “Seeing those pictures of Ant hugging his girlfriend and looking smitten must be so painful for Lisa @lisaamakeup.” Ant and the Bafta-winning beauty expert were together for 24 years before the I’m A Celeb presenter filed for divorce and quickly moved on with Lisa’s friend and their former PA, Anne-marie Corbett. Last week, Lisa also liked a tweet that said, “I don’t want fake friendships/relationships in my life any more. I don’t want to entertain it any more, either. Clear out the old and make way for new and improved connections.”

Lisa is now focusing on how kind her colleagues at the dance show have been – particularly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. We’re told, “She

can’t believe how many people from Strictly have come up to say how much they’re thinking of her. At a recent meeting, both Tess and Claudia told Lisa how much they love and support her. They praised her for being so resilient after everything that’s been thrown at her. Tess has even said Lisa seems like a completely new person.”

The star, who recently returned from an extended break in LA with a whole new look, has also had support from contestants and judges, including Katie Piper, Darcey Bussell and Shirley Ballas. “They’ve all said how strong Lisa is being and it’s really boosted her confidence,” says the source. “She’s been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from everyone. She feels really appreciated within the Strictly family – it’s like she’s got a whole army of people on her side now. She’s getting so much stronger, and it’s all because of them.”

In fact, Lisa’s new starry mates have inspired her to embrace the spotlight herself. “She’s actually starting to enjoy all the attention from fans,” says the source. “She knows Ant can’t stand it, but he can’t expect her to just retire from public life. She can’t help that she works in entertainment, and doesn’t see anything wrong in enjoying the attention. It’s been the first thing to make her smile in months. She’s now looking into appearances on UK chat shows, which would be Ant’s worst nightmare – especially if she starts talking about him and the divorce. But Lisa is not going anywhere quietly, not after everything that’s happened. She owes him nothing.” n

Women all over the world punched the air when Jennifer Aniston addressed her split with husband Justin Theroux last December by saying, “With all due respect, I’m not heartbroken.” And an insider tells us her confidence is “bubbling over” right now and that she’s in no hurry to find a new man. “Jen is enjoying being single again”, we’re told. “She was never completely happy being married to Justin and, now they’ve split, it’s a weight off her shoulders. In fact, friends say she hasn’t spoken to him since they announced their divorce.

And there’s another bonus, “The stress has disappeared from her life,” the insider adds. “She keeps saying she feels 20 years younger – and she looks it, too. She’s enjoyed being on her own and says she’s much calmer and more confident. If she wants to chat, she’ll call up Courteney [Cox], Reese [Witherspoon] or one of her other friends. She’s not stressing so much about her love life and career.”

Jen dated singer John Mayer and actor Gerard Butler before meeting Justin in 2011, eventually marrying him in 2015. Now, our insider says that the star is enjoying her independence. We’re told, “Jen loves that she doesn’t have to answer to anyone. She got used to the single life before she started dating Justin. She can be a bit of a loner and can be a neat freak – she likes having everything the way she wants at her house. She’s done with men for now. Justin could drive her nuts sometimes, with his messy ways, obsession with his own looks – and he could be unreliable. She’s happy to have him out of her life”

And while fans of the 49-year-old actress were excited by the idea that she might reunite with her first husband, Brad Pitt, we’re told, “With her split from Justin and all the agony she has gone through in recent months, Jen really can’t face having another serious relationship right now. That’s why she’s just planning on enjoying single life again, at least for the rest of the year and beyond. She’s going to turn 50 next February and she’s planning a huge birthday bash at her home. Then, after that, she might just think about settling down into a serious relationship. At least, that’s what she is saying right now...” n Katie Holloway

‘she loves that she doesn’t have to answer to anyone’