She stood by him as he battled prescription drug and alcohol issues – but Ant McPartlin’s friend has claimed the embattled star is happier since he split from long-term wife Lisa Armstrong.
Agent Simon Hargreaves took to Twitter to praise his friend for how far he has come in battling his demons, and while he meant well, it seemed a little insensitive.
Ant, 42, announced he had split from Lisa back in January, in a statement which she refused to sign.
Pain: Lisa Armstrong’s heartache as Ant McPartlin’s pal, Simon Hargreaves tweeted that the embattled presenter is ‘the happiest in years’ in a very insensitive post
It emerged in March that he was dating the couple’s former PA, Anne-Marie Corbett, 42, who used to be pals with Lisa, 41.
Ant’s make-up artist ex has kept a largely dignified silence on the matter, but did say she was heartbroken when she saw pictures of Ant with his new love.
She also revealed that Ant did not give her the heads up that the pictures would be running in a series of sad tweets.
Tough time: Simon’s post will understandably be heartbreaking for Lisa to read as she has been open about how hard she has found the split
Therefore, Simon’s post that Ant was now happier than ever, will understandably be heartbreaking for Lisa to read.
He shared a picture of himself with Ant, writing: ‘Long overdue catch up with my buddy of 20+ years for lunch this week.
‘6 months sober, annoyingly healthy looking, and happier than I’ve seen him in years.
‘Immensely proud of this lad for his strength and determination to face up to his issues and get help. @antanddec.’
Ouch! Simon is now dating Anne-Marie Corbett, who used to work as a PA to the couple and had been Lisa’s friend
Lisa is now said to be divorcing Ant on the grounds of adultery, as the estranged couple are said to be close to coming to an agreement before they submit their papers.
A source told The Sun: ‘Ant doesn’t want to hurt Lisa — he just wants to bring it to an end as quickly and as painlessly as possible.
‘He is on the verge of accepting his adultery but only very clearly on the technical basis that he has to — while making sure Lisa agrees that it only happened months after their separation.’
‘These talks have been ongoing during recent days and they are bearing fruit, it was feared it would spark a battle royal between the two but they are working to put their differences to one side and an agreement is close.’
In happier times: Lisa was married to Ant for more than 11 years