Ant McPartlin breaks silence on drink drive arrest and reveals how new lover Anne Marie Corbett saved his life in world exclusive interview
ANT McPartlin says his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett saved his life — and beams "She's been my rock".
The TV host, 43, reveals his drink-drive crash was the worst day of his life. He also says he could not bear to watch Holly Willoughby on I'm A Celebrity and reveals that he has ADHD.
The Geordie star admitted his "whole world came crashing in" last March when he was involved in that infamous drink-drive crash in the midst of a divorce battle.
But after receiving treatment for alcohol, addiction and mental health issues, the ITV star fell for the woman who had already been by his side in a professional capacity for many years.
Speaking exclusively for the first time about his new relationship, Ant tells The Sun on Sunday: “Anne-Marie honestly is the fundamental reason for the great change in my life.
“She’s been my rock. She’s a beautiful soul. We’re very happy.
Ant said he knew his life had to change after his arrest for drink-driving
READ MORE OF ANT'S WORLD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DAN WOOTTON
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- The star admits he feared he’d injured his mum as he relives horrific drink drive crash that ‘brought him to his lowest’
- Ant opens up about his battle with alcohol dependency and drug addiction in heartbreaking interview
- He admits that biggest ever drink-driving fine of £86k ‘is what I deserve’ after car crash
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“I’m in the best place I’ve been in my life, to be honest with you. It’s great.”
After we revealed the relationship in June, estranged wife Lisa claimed Anne-Marie had betrayed her by ending up in a relationship with Ant.
She wrote on Twitter: “Yeah My Friend and OUR Pa who I let into OUR home.??”
But when I raise the criticism that Anne-Marie had broken the so-called girl code, the Saturday Night Takeaway presenter responds angrily by saying: “That’s absolute rubbish.
“I don’t feel the need to defend Anne-Marie but I will say you’ve got to be careful judging other people’s relationships or what you think is the truth that’s been put out there.
“She is the most wonderful true woman. And the way we are and when people see us together they’ll see how honest and kind and happy we make each other.”
Anne-Marie is a mum of two whose own marriage ended more than six months before she hooked up with Ant. He says he never expected them to become a couple.
He adds: “We’ve worked together for many years. But something changed. She was single, I was single. We weren’t even looking for anybody else.
“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’.”
When Ant talks about Anne- Marie, his eyes light up. There’s a passion in his voice and it’s clear to me he’s madly in love.So how did they go from a purely platonic working relationship to realising there were romantic feelings?
The Britain’s Got Talent co-host smiles as he thinks about how they got together, then says: “Do you know, she’s always looked after me.
"But something changed where it went from a professional relationship. She’s still brilliant at her job, the best at what she does.
“But it gets tricky when you are working together and have feelings, those different kind of feelings, for each other.
“But I don’t know, it’s magic isn’t it? Who knows.
"If I knew, I’d bottle it. It’s great — we’re in a great place, really happy.”
Anne-Marie has played a central role in every stage of Ant’s recovery — and is even his sober partner to help keep him off booze, which he has done successfully for the past nine months.
Ant says: “She’s the greatest support to me. She’s always been behind me and supported me and looked after me. She always has been there for me.”
Specifically, the pair fled London after Ant’s release from intensive rehab so he could properly recover.
He says: “I got out of hospital and I rented some houses in the country and locked myself away and walked the dog. No TV or social media.
“I did nothing. I barely watched the World Cup. I worked on myself and got well.”
Anne-Marie was also there to whisk Ant overseas for his birthday in November as he struggled to cope in the UK because of the attention over Holly Willoughby taking his place on I’m A Celebrity. She stepped in alongside his best friend and co-presenter Declan Donnelly.
He says: “I went away. It was my birthday as well. For the past 16 years I’ve spent my birthday in Australia so I thought I’d spend it with Anne-Marie. It was gorgeous.”
Ant won’t speak about whether he wants to get married again for legal reasons as his divorce battle continues with Strictly Come Dancing make-up artist Lisa — who could be granted half of his £60million fortune.
He says of his teenage sweetheart, who he was married to for 11 years: “We don’t speak. We haven’t for a while. It’s still ongoing in terms of the legal situation.”
Lisa, he concedes, has been “everywhere” since their split, setting herself up as a woman scorned with an active social media presence and regular paparazzi pictures.
Ant clearly does not approve, saying pointedly: “I purposely, throughout the whole of my divorce, have not said anything publicly.
“I’ve not been on social media or put any of my personal views out there. It’s not my style.
“She can live her life how she wants to live her life and say what she wants but I prefer to keep that private.” What he will not keep private is his love for the couple’s dog Hurley, who is by Ant’s side for our interview.
He says: “There’s a loyalty and a love and a companionship with Hurley that you can’t describe. And he never tells me off and is always pleased to see me.”
The five-year-old chocolate labrador has become the country’s most famous canine because of Lisa and Ant’s likely custody fight. Ant laughs as he tells me: “I came out of a shop the other day and there was a woman on the floor cuddling Hurley and she said to me, ‘It’s the dog from the papers!’ Hurley’s a celebrity! Quick, get him a deal.”
As for rumours that Lisa will allow Ant to have custody of Hurley, nothing has been decided yet. He says: “We still share quite evenly. Hurley’s welfare comes first and we both love him very much. That’s the way it is really.”
With the divorce and new relationship, Ant’s life has changed entirely over the past year — something he believes was entirely necessary if he had any hope of beating his demons.
He has even moved from living a short walk away from co-host Dec to setting up home in a new part of London, away from his ex-wife and closer to his new love.
Ant explains: “You can’t go through what I’ve been through without being humbled. I would say I’ve definitely been humbled for the better.
“I’ve re-evaluated everything in my life. I’ve took stock of things and said, ‘Right I’ve got to think of me’. For years I thought of many other people. As we all do.
“But we should all step back and say, ‘What’s making me unhappy? What’s not working for me? What can I take out for a bit and take out long-term that will help me a bit?’
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“My life’s changed dramatically. A divorce will always change your life because it’s such an upheaval. It’s such a change.”
But he adds with the trademark twinkle back in his eyes: “You can probably tell by my attitude — I’m stronger, I’m happier.”
“This has been the year of the biggest change I’ve ever had. But it’s for the better. I feel great.”
Ant neither asked nor received any money for this interview.
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