Twenty-four years together, over in 30 seconds
Ant and Lisa have been granted a quickie divorce
It seemed like they’d never get closure, with every week bringing fresh drama to their break-up. But, in less than a minute, Ant Mcpartlin and Lisa Armstrong’s marriage was over for good. Last week, a judge granted the pair a divorce in 30 seconds, drawing an official line under a relationship that had lasted more than half their lives.
While Ant and Lisa, both 42, split at the beginning of the year, they only filed for divorce last month – reportedly, spending the intervening time thrashing out the terms of their split. But they were finally granted the decree nisi on the grounds of “unreasonable conduct” due to Ant’s adultery, based on the technicality that he was still legally married when he began his romance with his former PA Anne-marie Corbett in March. According to court papers, Lisa said he had become “intolerable to live with” – if neither party objects, the divorce will be finalised in six weeks’ time. Lisa and Ant first got together in 1994, and married 12 years ago. But their relationship fell apart last year, following Ant’s first stint in rehab to treat his addiction to prescription drugs. In January this year he released a statement confirming their split – telling fans he was “very sad” – before going public with Annemarie months later.
Lisa’s made no secret about her hurt over his new relationship, often sharing her pain on social media and accusing Anne-marie of betraying her trust. But that hasn’t stopped Ant – who is currently taking a break from all his TV commitments as he continues his recovery – from taking his romance public, especially over the past few months. It’s believed he accepted Lisa’s divorce petition on the grounds of adultery as he was keen for a quickie divorce, so that he could move on for good.