Congratulations are in order for Ant McPartlin and wife Anne-Marie Corbett, who have today welcomed their first child together.
Anne-Marie, who already has two daughters from a previous relationship, gave birth at 8:54am this morning (May 14) to a 'beautiful' baby boy named Wilder Patrick McPartlin. Taking to Instagram, first-time dad Ant, 48, couldn't have been prouder as he welcomed his son to the world, revealing: "Baby is beautiful, Mummy's a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad's a mess."
After introducing baby Wilder to the world, Ant and Anne-Marie were quickly inundated with delighted messages from famous friends. An excited Davina McCall commented: "Arggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!! This is AMAZING !!!! Congratulations to ALL of you."
Expressing similar sentiments, First Dates star Fred Sirieix wrote: "Congrats." Ashley Banjo added: "Congrats guys," while Joel Dommett chimed in: "I LOVE THIS."
As well-wishes flood in for the happy couple, the Mirror takes a look at their love story, which has been anything but plain sailing...
Ant McPartlin’s ex Lisa Armstrong poses with boyfriend after concerning post
Congratulatory messages have poured in for the couple, whose romance got off to a rocky start (MT/GoffPhotos.com)
Ant has previously described their relationship as 'magic' (Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock)Difficult beginnings
Ant and Anne-Marie began dating in 2018, with their romance confirmed in the summer of that year. She had been working as a personal assistant to the presenter and his then-wife Lisa Armstrong before they announced plans to divorce in January 2018 after 11 years of marriage.
Anne-Marie worked for Ant and Lisa for six years and even organised their 10th wedding anniversary party in 2016. Outside of work, makeup artist Lisa had also been friends with Anne-Marie. Rumours of a budding romance between the pair first began circulating in June 2018, six months after he confirmed his split from Lisa, who claimed to have learned about the relationship through reports in the media.
In June 2018, while Ant and Lisa were still officially married, The Sun broke the news that Ant had begun dating Anne-Marie, with the pair having grown close amid Ant's personal difficulties. Taking to the social media platform X, then known as Twitter, Lisa claimed she'd only learned of the romance after reading about it in the newspaper.
Responding to one social media user who expressed sympathy, Lisa commented: "Yeah My friend and OUR PA who I let into OUR home", finishing off her message with a broken heart emoji. When asked by another user whether Ant had been 'decent' enough to forewarn her before the relationship was made public, Lisa replied: "Nope. Just [found out] how you guys did x".
Fences do appear to have been mended in recent times, however, with Lisa reportedly recently offering an olive branch to Ant six years after their painful split. A source told OK!: "Lisa knows Ant is ready to move on with the next chapter of his life - she doesn't want to be angry anymore. She's done a lot of healing over the past few years and spent so much time being upset and angry about everything.
"It has been exhausting but she has done a lot of work on herself. It seems everyone is having a fresh start with the end of the show and Ant's new chapter in his life, so Lisa wants to make sure she's in a good place."
Lisa also recently showed Ant support ahead of his and Dec's final episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, by liking a social media post that described the duo as 'simply the best'. It read: "After 20 years this amazing show is coming to an end it's been a real joy and pleasure to have been there from the beginning, and in my 30-year career in showbiz I've worked with some brilliant people but these two are simply the best! Great friendships and memories made."
A 'beautiful soul'
Ant had previously credited his 'rock' Anne-Marie for helping him get his life back on track following a drink-drive crash in 2018. Opening up about his supportive spouse in a 2019 interview with The Sun, Ant shared: "Anne-Marie honestly is the fundamental reason for the great change in my life. She's been my rock. She's a beautiful soul." He added: "I'm in the best place I've been in my life, to be honest with you. It's great."
In the same interview, Ant, who described their love as 'magic', confirmed that they had only gotten together after they had broken up with their respective partners, with Anne-Marie having split with former husband Scott Corbett the year before.
He revealed: "We've worked together for many years. But something changed. She was single, I was single. We were going through turmoil. It was the last thing on either of our minds to get into a relationship. But there we were and we were like, ‘This felt so good, why deny it'."
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Insiders have stated that they only grew close when Ant entered rehab for a second time in March 2018 after being found guilty of drunk driving.
The couple love to walk their dogs Bumble and Milo (Matt/Mauro / SplashNews.com)Wedding bells and plush marital home
The couple made a fresh start in 2019 by moving to the Wimbledon Village mansion, with Ant sharing in a 2020 Instagram update, that he'd moved some 'six miles away' from the five-bedroom Chiswick home he and Lisa had once shared.
The mansion boasts a spacious driveway and tall pillars framing the front door. Inside, a huge open-plan kitchen and dining room, plus several reception rooms, make it the perfect space for entertaining.
In the summer of 2021, Ant and Anne-Marie tied the knot at St Michael's Church, in the picturesque Hampshire village of Heckfield.
Ant and Anne-Marie live in a gorgeous £6million mansionParenthood journey
Ant has long spoken candidly about his dream of becoming a dad. Opening up about his and then-wife Lisa's baby battle in a 2013 interview with the Radio Times, Ant shared: "There's a rumour that we do everything together and I'm holding off having kids till Dec finds himself Mrs Right. I love that idea, but I'm afraid it's not true. Lisa and I would love to have kids. We're trying." In a five-word admission, he added: "It's tougher than you think."
After news of Anne-Marie's pregnancy was confirmed, Ant's Britain's Got Talent colleague Simon Cowell offered some pearls of wisdom on all things fatherhood. Speaking with the Mirror, Simon warned: "It will be life-changing."
He continued: "When I heard Ant was going to become a dad, I told him it would be the best thing that ever happened to him. I basically said the first nine months are a bit strange because they can't talk to you.
"I remember saying to Lauren about Eric at one point: 'I don't think he likes me.' But then after a year everything changes and it's hilarious, it's great fun, and you'll really really enjoy it. And it will be life-changing for him. I'm really happy for both of them. What will happen if the baby arrives during the live shows? I'll probably have to host with Dec. Why not?"
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