Ant McPartlin’s wife Lisa Armstrong has broken her social media silence after his drink-drive guilty plea by liking a supportive message on Twitter.
The 42-year-old TV presenter was fined £86,000 and banned from the road for 20 months after he was caught more than twice the legal limit following a crash in Richmond, west London.
He pleaded guilty to driving with 75 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
As he faced the music in court, his estranged wife sent a subtle message by liking a tweet from a fan.
TV presenter Ant McPartlin said he has let himself and his family down and is ‘truly sorry’ for smashing into two family cars while twice the legal alcohol limit. He was banned from the road and fined £86,000 after he admitted drink driving
Ant McPartlin’s wife Lisa Armstrong (left, in 2007, and right, at the BAFTAs in 2015) has broken her social media silence after his drink-drive guilty plea by liking a supportive message on Twitter
Anthony McPartlin, Lisa Armstrong, Declan Donnelly and Ali Astall arrive for the House of Fraser British Academy of Television Awards at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, in 2015
A court sketch of Ant behind the glass-fronted dock at Wimbledon Magistrates Court. He spoke only to confirm his details and plead guilty to drink driving. His lawyer told the court he was struggling with ‘alcohol and emotional issues’ at the time
One fan said: ‘Thinking of you today.’
Another added: ‘Sending you lots of love & hugs. Thinking that you could probably do with them today. #Staystrong xxxx.’
Speaking outside Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, McPartlin said he was ‘ashamed and mortified’ for crashing while drink driving with his mother in the passenger seat.
McPartlin was arrested after losing control of his black Mini and smashing into two other cars, a Mini and a BMW, while driving in Richmond, west London on March 18.
The court heard how the crash left a nine-year-old passenger in the BMW screaming: ‘I’m dying, mummy!’
Anthony McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong in 2013 (left) and at their wedding at St.Nicolas Church in Taplow, Buckinghamshire in 2006 (right)
Lisa Armstrong, Anthony McPartlin, Declan Donnelly and Ali Astall attend The Prince’s Countryside Fund Raceday at Ascot Racecourse on March 29, 2015
Ant was shielded by police as he made his way back past cameras following his court appearance yesterday afternoon
Seven uniformed police officers were at the door of the court to shield the star from cameras as he arrived yesterday
The I’m a Celebrity host gave a brief statement outside court, saying he was ‘truly sorry’ to those caught up in the crash
The boy’s mother, Dr Audrey Ng, also said she’d been unable to return to work since the accident.
Faheem Vanoo, the driver of the Mini, said afterwards that he and his family thought they would die in the collision.
District Judge Barbara Barnes told McPartlin: ‘You were struggling with personal problems and issues with alcohol and that had been going on for some months.
‘Your level of driving was unacceptable that day. You recognise you have let down so many people, your friends, family and colleagues.’
‘I’m dying mummy’: Doctor reveals her son’s trauma after their BMW was hit by Ant McPartlin in drink-drive crash as she says she thought the TV host was DEAD
A nine-year-old boy in a BMW smashed into by Ant McPartlin thought he was dying in the moments after the smash, the court heard today.
A Dr Ng who was driving the BMW which McPartlin’s Mini ploughed into when the TV host was drink driving.
A statement by the prosecutor today, Dr Ng said her son was in shock and McPartlin’s car deployed three airbags.’
She told the court: ‘The black Mini came in the opposite direction far too fast round the bend.
‘After colliding with he Mini the car already had a broken left front side had already dropped down and was scraping in the ground as it collided head on with my vehicle.
‘I immediately looked over and my son was saying ‘I’m dying mummy, I’m dying’. Although he was physically fine, he was clearly in shock.
‘As there was no movement from the driver of the black Mini I thought he might have died.
‘The driver of the black Mini exited the vehicle I could see he airbags had deployed. It has been distressing for myself and son, both have been in shock.
‘As a result of the collision I have not been able to return to work. It had greatly effect my private and work life.’
Ant’s black Mini collided head-on with the BMW of a doctor who had her nine-year-old son as a passenger
The court heard Ant’s mother, Christine Woodhall, was in the car at the time he crashed. She was unaware he had ‘relapsed’, the court heard. The pair are pictured together after Ant received an OBE in 2017