What happened when Lisa Armstrong saw Ant for the first time in eight years: As their beloved dog dies, friends tell KATIE HIND why she’ll NEVER forgive ‘plain cruel’ last blow after he walked away – and ‘tragedy’ he left her with

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It was the moment that Ant McPartlin and his ex wife Lisa Armstrong had dreaded for some years.

Even just being in the same room after eight years of a messy, public breakup would have been tough. But last week, they reunited under incredibly sad circumstances: to say goodbye to their cherished Labrador, Hurley.

The couple, who have been estranged since about 2018 and actively avoided each other, unexpectedly reunited last Thursday at a veterinarian’s office in west London. They had to set aside their differences when they learned their beloved dog, Hurley, was critically ill and wouldn’t get better.

Ant, age 50, quickly left the Britain’s Got Talent launch event in London, where he was with Dec, Simon Cowell, and Amanda Holden, to go meet Lisa, 48.

Both were inconsolable as a ‘mini-truce’ took place, though one I’m assured won’t last.

‘There is too much hurt, too much has happened,’ says a source familiar with the pair.

For a single day, a couple set aside their differences to mourn the loss of Hurley, a dog they adopted in 2013 while trying to have a child. They loved him as if he were their own baby.

Following his divorce in 2018 after 13 years of marriage, a difficult and contentious custody battle began.

Initially, Ant and his ex-partner planned to share care of their dog, Hurley. However, due to their strained relationship, Ant’s co-star, Declan Donnelly, ended up transporting Hurley between their houses.

During their divorce, Ant reportedly told his lawyers that his ex-partner could have anything she wanted, but not their dog. He also explained in an interview that he and his ex-partner shared custody of the dog, Hurley, and that Hurley’s well-being was their top priority, as they both loved him very much. He described the bond with Hurley as a special loyalty, love, and companionship.

Despite everything, Lisa was deeply upset by the situation. Hurley had been a reliable source of happiness during her difficult divorce from Ant, and she truly valued that.

Things became even harder when Ant began a relationship with his previous personal assistant, Anne-Marie Corbett, and they got married in 2021.

He quickly became a family man, embracing Lisa’s two daughters and adding to the household with two adorable maltipoo dogs named Bumble and Milo. The most emotional moment for Lisa came in May 2024 when he welcomed his own son.

Lisa, meanwhile was left distraught, as she faced life alone, almost in middle age.

People close to the Strictly Come Dancing makeup artist shared that she was very possessive of Hugh Grant years ago, and even tried to get her ex-husband involved to address it.

She felt his request was perfectly fair, considering he’d left her without children in her early 40s to start a new family with someone else.

People close to Lisa felt it must have been difficult for her to know Anne-Marie would be looking after her son during his visits with his father.

Someone explained that it was incredibly painful for Lisa to see Ant start a relationship with someone she considered a friend.

After he got two more dogs, Lisa felt it was reasonable to ask if she could have Hurley live with her permanently. However, Ant refused.

She was angry and deeply hurt. It felt incredibly unfair, especially after all she’d done for him. She’d hoped he would at least be considerate, but he wasn’t.

After Lisa and Ant separated, she sometimes felt completely alone, especially when Hurley moved on with someone else and started a new life.

‘But still, he refused, it was a big no no.’

Even after becoming a father to his son, Wilder Patrick, 18 months ago, Ant didn’t want to give up his dog, Hurley.

Honestly, it’s just devastating for her. A close friend told me she’s completely heartbroken and can’t imagine ever getting over the fact that he didn’t step up when she needed him. It’s one of those things that really cuts deep and changes everything, you know?

Lisa really dislikes Ant, and now that Hurley is gone, she’s likely to be even angrier with him. She feels he robbed her of time with Hurley by focusing on his new relationship with Anne-Marie.

My friend explained that Lisa was furious and couldn’t understand why Ant wouldn’t let Hurley take the fall.

She was aware of how much affection Ant had for him, but she wondered if he’d be truly devastated, considering all the other new things happening in his life right now.

Hurley, often seen with both Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong, became a poignant symbol of their highly public and painful split.

They’d met back in 1994, when she was just 18 and he was 20, on the music scene.

When Lisa was playing in a band called Deuce, Ant and his co-host Declan Donnelly were starting their music careers as the pop duo PJ & Duncan. They originally played these characters on the children’s TV show Byker Grove, where they first met and began performing together.

Lisa had a successful career as a make-up artist, but she always prioritized supporting her partner, Ant. He became incredibly popular as a TV host, becoming well-known for shows like Pop Idol (2001), I’m a Celebrity (2002), and Britain’s Got Talent (2007).

The couple got married in the summer of 2006 at Cliveden House, close to Maidenhead in Berkshire, and Dec was his best man.

At one point they had a house on the same road as Dec in Chiswick.

From the outside, Lisa and her partner seemed to have a perfect life. Lisa especially appeared to be enjoying the benefits of being with one of the UK’s most successful TV personalities.

Despite presenting a happy face to the world, Ant and his partner were privately heartbroken while trying to have a child – a struggle Ant often discussed openly.

He shared in an interview that he and his wife, Lisa, want to start a family and are actively trying, but he admitted it’s been more challenging than they expected.

In 2013, they welcomed a sweet, chocolate brown Labrador puppy into their family, and he quickly became like one of their children, often appearing on Lisa’s Instagram.

To celebrate Ant’s 40th birthday in 2015, Lisa shared a photo of their dog, Hurley, wearing a birthday hat and wrote, ‘Happy 40th birthday, Dadda.’

By late 2017, it became apparent that Ant was facing significant difficulties of his own.

Ant and Lisa used to love going out for drinks at their local pubs in Chiswick, but Ant quickly began to battle personal problems and developed an alcohol addiction.

Friends of Lisa say she was incredibly giving while caring for Ant. She told them she endured a very difficult ‘two years of hell’ trying to help her ex-husband get better as he struggled with increasing problems with alcohol and prescription drug addiction.

In January 2018, Ant put out a solo statement announcing he was leaving Lisa.

Although he initially kept it private, Ant’s struggle with alcohol became public in March 2018 when he was arrested for driving under the influence. He had crashed his Mini into two other vehicles in southwest London.

I was really shocked to see pictures of the presenter after the crash – they looked completely shaken and dishevelled as they got out of the car. Thankfully, it sounds like everyone involved was mostly okay, though I heard two people, including a little three-year-old, had some minor injuries. It’s such a relief it wasn’t worse.

He was found to be over the legal alcohol limit for driving – more than double the amount allowed – and received a record £86,000 fine at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

He had tried getting help for problems with alcohol, drugs, and depression before, but it wasn’t until the car crash and the attention it brought that he finally decided to enter a rehabilitation program.

Later that summer, people began to talk about Ant having a relationship with Anne-Marie Corbett, who was then 48 years old and had worked as his and his wife’s personal assistant.

They made their first public outing as a couple at Wimbledon the following year.

It was clear Lisa was deeply upset by the news. She’d always thought of the person as a friend, and she’d always been generous with gifts for her daughters, Poppy and Daisy, who are now teenagers.

She hit out on Twitter (now X) accusing Anne-Marie of breaking the ‘girl code’.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe it! After Anne-Marie and Ant finally finalized their divorces, they actually GOT MARRIED! It was the most gorgeous wedding, held on August 7th, 2021, in Heckfield, Hampshire – seriously, a fairytale! And Dec? He was best man again – they’re just too cute! Anne-Marie’s daughters looked absolutely stunning as bridesmaids. The guest list was insane – Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, even Eamonn Holmes were there! I was practically glued to my phone, following every detail. It was the wedding of the year, I swear!

During their bitter divorce, reports claimed Lisa received millions of dollars, but those numbers were likely exaggerated.

She did, however, keep the former marital home – and a 50/50 time share in Hurley.

No amount of money Lisa received from Ant could make up for the pain of their divorce. A friend explained, ‘It felt like Ant stole her best years and then flaunted it, adding to the hurt.’

Ant, however, seemed incredibly happy with his new life. He was often seen walking with his new family, Hurley happily running alongside them.

The news that Anne-Marie was expecting the couple’s baby was another painful blow.

Lisa, despite receiving numerous high-paying offers for interviews detailing her marriage to Ant, didn’t simply move on with her life.

After her divorce, she’s tried dating a few times without much luck. Most recently, she ended her relationship with actor Grant Kilburn, who is 15 years younger than her.

She and her partner were introduced by Kevin Clifton, a fellow cast member in the play 2:22 A Ghost Story, late last year after a performance. He also starred in the production.

There was ‘much hope’ that it would last but the romance fizzled out last month.

Lisa, known for her resilience, shared a message of support on Instagram this Valentine’s Day to anyone spending the holiday alone, encouraging them to stay strong.

‘Roses are flowers, pebbles are stones, here’s a big shout out to those on their own,’ she penned.

‘Count yourself lucky and try not to sob, look at the bright side, you’re not with a kn*b.’

It’s unclear who Lisa was referring to with that comment – was it Ant, Grant, or one of her past short-term relationships?

Regardless, Lisa will now be feeling lonelier than ever.

One friend tells me: ‘It is a tragedy. Lisa missed her chance to have a baby.

This is a deeply sad story. She gave Ant everything and sacrificed so much for him, only to be left with nothing to show for it – an empty crib. It’s truly devastating, and Hurley’s involvement really helped to improve the situation.

Lisa adored her dog; he was a huge source of comfort as she dealt with Ant starting a family with someone else, which was incredibly painful for her.

Hurley helped fill the void of not having children, bringing Hurley immense joy and comfort. However, she anticipates that any lingering pain from her past will be most acutely felt now.

And as for any future reconciliations between the pair, I’m told there is ‘absolutely no chance’.

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2026-02-15 20:51