Ant McPartlin’s ex-wife Lisa Armstrong has posted online for the first time since the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! presenter revealed the news that his wife Anne-Marie Corbett had given birth.
Posting a black and white image of himself with the tot, the TV legend wrote at the time: “Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess!”
Days after welcoming his son, McPartlin hit back at some speculation that he snubbed his beloved dog Hurley – who he shares with Armstrong – from his family tree.
Explaining why social media viewers couldn’t see Hurley’s name, McPartlin posted on Twitter: “Hey all, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the kind messages of love and well wishes for our baby Wilder. He’s doing great.
“Glad you loved the tattoo as well. For all you dog lovers who asked why my beloved Hurley wasn’t on the family tree.. He was!! He was just covered by our newborn. All my love, gratitude and heartfelt thanks A.”
Since they split in 2018, it has been reported that Armstrong had vowed to fight for custody of their chocolate Labrador after their messy break-up.
Lisa returned to social media days after Ant McPartlin’s son was born
She cryptically posted a quote by Winston Churchill to her Instagram story which read: “I no longer listen to what people say, I watch what they do. Behaviour never lies.”
Armstrong also shared a snap of her four Labradors, including Hurley, and captioned the post: “Got the band back together.” (sic)
The Saturday Night Takeaway presenter and Strictly Come Dancing make-up artist adopted Hurley in 2013 after they struggled to have a child of their own.
However, after their split, McPartlin refused to surrender full custody and reportedly told his lawyers: “She can have anything she wants – except the dog.”
Lisa and Ant are in an ongoing custody battle of the dog
Armstrong expressed her wish to care for the pup full-time in February, with her close friends noting that her desire is stronger than ever following the birth of McPartlin’s son.
A source told The Sun: “She felt very betrayed by both Ant and Anne-Marie and felt that none of this has been handled sensitively, especially the announcement of the baby.
“The one thing that has got her through it and been by her side constantly is Hurley – she doesn’t know what she would do without him. He’s more than just a dog to her and has been a lifeline at times.
“Ant obviously loves Hurley as well but he now has a lot of other responsibilities and things going on in his life and Lisa can’t see why she can’t have full custody of him. She needs Hurley by her side.”
Lisa returned to social media after the birth of Ant’s son
Away from the drama, McPartlin was back to work on Tuesday, just one week after welcoming his son, and presented The Prince’s Trust Awards at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane alongside best friend and colleague Declan Donnelly.
The Geordie duo have presented the show for more than a decade, with the Prince’s Trust official X account posting: “We’re rolling out the red carpet and that can only mean one thing… The Prince’s Trust and @TKMaxx_UK & @HomesenseUK.
“Awards are TOMORROW! Join us on Facebook, YouTube or TikTok tomorrow from 15:45 to catch all the action live from the red carpet!” along with an image of McPartlin, Donnelly and King Charles III.