Ant McPartlin’s ‘£31million divorce with Lisa Armstrong is FINALISED’ 

Ant McPartlin’s £31million divorce has reportedly been finalised and he is now free to propose to girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett.

The TV talent, 44, was granted a decree absolute this week which formally ends his 12-year marriage and 23-year relationship with Lisa Armstrong, 43.

The former couple split in January 2018 after the presenter’s highly documented battle with painkillers and alcohol.

Over: Ant McPartlin’s marriage to Lisa Armstrong is officially over after their £31 million was confirmed (pictured together in 2010)

He has since been seeing his ‘rock’ and former PA Anne-Marie Corbett, 44.

A source told The Sun: ‘It’s been an extremely difficult road with a lot of heartache and unpleasantness, but it’s finally done. It’s over.

‘Ant’s been desperate to start the next chapter of his life and at least now he and Anne-Marie can plan for the future. It won’t be long before they are married.’ 

MailOnline contacted representatives for Ant and Lisa for further comment. 

Fresh start: The presenter is now free to marry his girlfriend, former PA Anne-Marie Corbett (pictured earlier this month)

Fresh start: The presenter is now free to marry his girlfriend, former PA Anne-Marie Corbett (pictured earlier this month)

Fresh start: The presenter is now free to marry his girlfriend, former PA Anne-Marie Corbett (pictured in July 2019)

Fresh start: The presenter is now free to marry his girlfriend, former PA Anne-Marie Corbett (pictured in July 2019)

It was recently reported that Ant would have to close his £20 million television business to fund the divorce.

According to Companies House, the presenter’s production business Teecourt Limited has filed paperwork to cease trading in the coming weeks. 

Earlier this year, Saturday Night Takeaway host Ant was reported to have handed over £31 million to Lisa, including their £5 million home in West London, after an ‘eight-hour negotiation’.

The beauty expert was said to have been the ‘peacemaker’ during a recent eight-hour long discussion about her divorce from the TV star, claimed The Sun.

Denial: Lisa took to Twitter to shut down claims she's receiving £31 million from her divorce from Ant, posting: 'Nope a load of nonsense AGAIN....'

Denial: Lisa took to Twitter to shut down claims she’s receiving £31 million from her divorce from Ant, posting: ‘Nope a load of nonsense AGAIN….’

Supportive fans: The former singer went on to like tweets that stated 'no amount of money' would be compensation for her experience in recent months

Supportive fans: The former singer went on to like tweets that stated ‘no amount of money’ would be compensation for her experience in recent months

The publication first alleged the TV veteran offered up more than half of his estimated £50m fortune, but was ‘delighted’ that the case has come to an end as he can ‘move on’, two years after announcing their split.   

ANT AND LISA’S SETTLEMENT EXPLAINED:  

Fiona Wood, partner with McAlister Family Law, explains

• The most striking element of this story is the alleged agreement that Mr McPartlin will give ex-wife Lisa Armstrong £31 million in their divorce settlement, out of a pot that is reportedly thought to be £50 million

• The starting point in any financial settlement in divorce is a 50/50 division of the assets. However the judge must then consider if there are reasons to depart from equality.

• Reasons for departing from equality would be that one spouse brought significant assets into the marriage and/or acquired significant assets after separation. Ms Armstrong’s financial claims are therefore likely to be limited to the money amassed during the marriage, which includes any period that the couple cohabited prior to their marriage. Therefore if there is any deviation away from equality, it is more likely to be in Mr McPartlin’s favour than Ms Armstrong’s.

• The settlement will need to meet the couple’s needs, but in big money cases, where there are significant assets, this will not usually be a problem.

• The law does not favour the spouse who generated capital during a marriage when looking at how the assets should be divided.

• It is one of the myths around divorce that if one spouse has committed adultery, that spouse should be treated more harshly. The reasons for the breakdown of the marriage rarely have any impact on the financial settlement. The court will look at fairness and need.

• If, as is reported, the couple shared custody of their dog during their two years’ separation, then it is likely the judge will therefore be happy for that situation to continue.

However, as the news broke, the former Deuce musician took to Twitter to deny the reports, posting: ‘Nope a load of nonsense AGAIN….’

She went to ‘like’ tweets that stated: ‘no amount of money could ever compensate for what this poor girl has had to endure’, and ‘Get what you can! 

‘You deserve it! Terrible treatment of you since you found out when we did! And with a so called friend! It’s heartbreaking behaviour.

‘I bet the money means nothing in some respects, it certainly can’t buy the respect she deserves or make up for the sh***y spineless way he scurried off & tried to silence her. 

‘Whatever the sum is I’m sure it will be put to much better use & I wish her all the best’; and ‘Why do people care what you get, no amount of money big or small can change the fact a heart was broken’. [sic] 

As of last month, Ant and Lisa are said to be on civil terms, with the exes speaking have ‘without an intermediary’ as they continue to share custody of their beloved pet Labrador, Hurley.  

Late last year, friends of the former couple told The Mail On Sunday that despite efforts by Ant to keep their split low-key, Lisa still wanted her day in court. 

Lisa, a make-up artist on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, is understood to have felt that Ant ‘got away with a lot’ following their split.

She was also believed to be dismayed and deeply hurt that he moved on so quickly when he started a new relationship with Anne-Marie.  

A source close to the couple said: ‘Ant has been very generous in terms of the financial settlement but Lisa is totally the opposite of someone who is motivated by money. 

‘She doesn’t care about that – she earns her own. But she has been so hurt by all of this.

Dog parents: As of last month, Ant and Lisa are said to be on civil terms as they continue to share custody of their beloved pet Labrador, Hurley (pictured with Hurley in March 2016)

Dog parents: As of last month, Ant and Lisa are said to be on civil terms as they continue to share custody of their beloved pet Labrador, Hurley (pictured with Hurley in March 2016)

‘What the general public and his fans don’t realise is that Ant’s decision to end the marriage came after years of Lisa trying to save him from himself.

‘There were at least three years when she was at her wits’ end and it was tough. Watching him move on was very, very difficult. Lisa is very much aware that a judge may not award her as much as Ant is offering but she doesn’t care. 

‘She has suffered tremendously in all of this and she wants her day in court.’  

Their union legally came to an end during a 30-second hearing in October 2018, finalising over a decade of marriage. 

Moving on: Their union legally came to an end during a 30-second hearing in October 2018, finalising over a decade of marriage (pictured at their wedding in 2016)

Moving on: Their union legally came to an end during a 30-second hearing in October 2018, finalising over a decade of marriage (pictured at their wedding in 2016)

During the hearing, Ant had to technically admit adultery with Anne-Marie as their relationship officially began while he and Lisa were still married. 

A year before they split, Ant entered rehab after struggling with a two-year addiction to super-strength painkillers following a knee operation in 2015.

In April 2018, he was banned from the road for 20 months and fined £86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal limit.  

In the work department, Ant and his sidekick Declan Donnelly, 44, cashed in at least £15,124 a day last year after making an epic return to the small screen together.

Dark times: In April 2018 (pictured), Ant was banned from the road for 20 months and fined £86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal limit

Dark times: In April 2018 (pictured), Ant was banned from the road for 20 months and fined £86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal limit

According to records, the hefty sum was paid into just one of their firms, Hurley Promotions Ltd, with the company’s profits increasing from £4.5 million to £5.5 million between 2018 and 2019.

Dec also managed to bank £5.2 million for solo work while his sidekick, also 44, took a year-long break from his TV commitments to focus on his recovery from prescription drug addiction in rehab.

The iconic hosting duo joined forces at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions for the first time in January 2019 following nearly a year off from TV together.

Ant’s personal issues saw him sit out the last few episodes of BGT, as well as Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, in spring 2018.  

Go big or go home: In the work department, Ant and his sidekick Declan Donnelly, 44, cashed in at least £15,124 a day last year after making an epic return to the small screen together

Go big or go home: In the work department, Ant and his sidekick Declan Donnelly, 44, cashed in at least £15,124 a day last year after making an epic return to the small screen together

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