He reportedly ‘lost a stone’ in weight following his addiction battle and subsequent stay in rehab, earlier this year.
And showcasing his slimmer physique as he hit the beach in Australia, Ant McPartlin, 42, cut a happy and healthy figure during his jaunt by the sea on Saturday.
The shirtless star was joined by a member of his management team as he took to the waves, along with his best pal Declan Donnelly and his wife Ali Astall and a slew of other friends.
Content: Ant McPartlin, 42, cut a happy and healthy figure as he enjoyed a beach jaunt over in Australia on Saturday with a member of his management team
Having wrapped another successful live episode of I’m A Celebrity, Ant and Dec made sure to make the most of the rest of their day over in Australia and headed to the beach with friends.
The duo are currently staying Down Under while working on the much-loved reality series and already developing impressive tans due to the sunshine overseas, Ant was seen parading his already bronzed frame in a pair of orange swimming shorts.
Appearing relaxed and content, the TV presenter was pictured enjoying a refreshing dip in the sea with a female friend and the duo appeared to be entertained by the huge waves.
Dec, meanwhile, favoured a pair of black swimming shorts and was seen carrying out his own Baywatch-inspired run, as he made his way back up onto the sand following his swim.
Relaxed: He was joined by a mystery female companion as they enjoyed a refreshing dip in the sea
Taking a break: Ant headed to the beach with a group of friends after successfully filming another live episode of I’m A Celebrity
Refreshing: Shirtless Ant teased a look at his bronzed physique in his orange swim shorts
Cooling off: The TV presenter debuted his slimmer frame after losing a stone in weight following his rehab stay earlier this year
His wife Ali cut a stylish figure in a black bikini and a loosely fitted white kaftan that she threw over her two-piece. She has joined her beau and Ant over in Oz this year, while Ant’s wife Lisa Armstrong, 41, has remained in the UK due to her working commitments with Strictly Come Dancing.
Ant’s appearance on the beach comes after it was revealed he has lost a stone in weight, after embarking on a healthier and fitter lifestyle following his stint in rehab.
He had sought treatment to overcome and battle his two-year addiction to painkillers following a devastating knee injury and fertility issues.
A source told The Mirror: ‘The last couple of months have been about him getting back to the Ant people know and love, and he has been exercising the knee, eating more healthily and drinking a lot less.’
Channelling his inner baywatch? Dec, meanwhile, was seen running back onto the beach after taking a dip
Holidaying: Dec’s wife Ali Astall (far left) had joined the group and was clad in a black bikini
Sea-ing double? Dec and a friend were perfectly in sync as they rubbed the salt water out of their eyes
Happy: Ant appeared to be having a ball as he took to the water
Speaking of the Ant – who checked into rehab in June – a source admitted: ‘He put on some weight and looked tired and had bags under his eyes.’
But with a visibly slimmed down Ant appearing on ITV screens on Sunday night, it was divulged: ‘The results of all that, and work in the gym, are there for all to see now. He has lost up to a stone in weight and looks better than he has for years.’
Following much speculation over whether or not he would return to I’m A Celebrity, Ant was seen kicking off this year’s series live on air with Dec last Sunday and telling his co-star: ‘I was always going to make it.’
The pair addressed concerns he could have been absent from the series in their usually witty style, with Dec immediately opening the show by joking he had been joined by Holly Willoughby.
Going solo: Ant’s wife Lisa Armstrong, 41, meanwhile, hasn’t joined him Down Under due to her working commitments with Strictly Come Dancing
Another year older: Ant had celebrated his 42nd birthday while overseas, before kicking off this year’s I’m A Celebrity series
He said to viewers: ‘I’m here with the gorgeous Holly Willoughby…’ before adding in mock horror: ‘Wait, no! Guys that’s the wrong script! You’ve put the wrong script in!’
Turning to Ant, who was stood in mock outrage, Dec continued the joke by stating, in reference to his pal’s rehab stint: ‘No one was sure if you would make it or not!’
Confirming to fans he was better than ever however, the famous Geordie assured: ‘I was always going to make it, come on.’
He then added excitedly: ‘I’m back my friend!’, before the pair sweetly hugged, to the applause of the production crew.
Ant found himself inundated with compliments about his healthy appearance on the show, with many fans taking in their droves to Twitter to express their delight at having him back on their screens.
Drying off: Dec was seen lapping up the sunshine on the beach
Back to his best: There had been much speculation over whether Ant would be returning to I’m A Celeb this year, after he spoke candidly of his battle with painkiller addiction
Woes: Ant has suffered a difficult 2017, after admitting in June he had been battling a two-year addiction to painkillers after a devastating knee injury and fertility issues
One kicked things off by writing: ‘Ant so good to see you, Dec you too again on our TV screens’ as another added: ‘Glad you’re back Ant. Wouldn’t be the same without you.’
A further fan praised Ant for his bravery over the last few months, writing: ‘So great to see Ant back where he belongs, it takes a very brave person to publicly go through what he has and come back even stronger…’
While another said of their famous on screen relationship: ‘When Ant said ‘Ofcourse I’m back’ and him and Dec hugged- it was so emosh!! Can’t not love these pair!!’
Later on, the pair joked about his summer once again, with Dec probing his co-host: ‘Where were you all summer anyway? What were you doing?’
‘He looks better than he has for years’: But putting paid to the rumours, Ant had joined Dec live on air on Sunday to host I’m A Celebrity’s return
Making light of it: The pair addressed concerns he could have been absent from the series in their usually witty style, with Dec immediately opening the show by joking he had been joined by Holly Willoughby
Breaking out into giggles and awkwardly sipping into his tea, Ant simply laughed in response: ‘I was just dead busy!’
Ant has suffered a difficult 2017, after admitting in June he had been battling a two-year addiction to painkillers after a devastating knee injury and fertility issues.
Ant revealed his plans to check in to rehab for alcohol and drug addiction, when he gave a candid interview to The Sun admitting he had ‘let people down’, before thanking his wife Lisa and co-star Declan for the support they had provided.
While Lisa hasn’t joined Ant, who celebrated his 42nd birthday overseas recently,
While he hasn’t been joined by wife Lisa out in Oz, due to her working commitments on Strictly Come Dancing as a make-up artist, she made sure to hit back at the speculation, breaking her silence on the duo’s rumoured ‘marriage woes’.
No issue: Ant, meanwhile, had told his co-star: ‘I was always going to make it’
Drama: As well as concerns about his health, Ant has had to face speculation over his marriage to wife of 11 years Lisa
Lisa had hit back at the long-running reports that the duo have separated by taking to Twitter, as she penned on the microblogging site: ‘I’m not estranged, thank you’.
Her defiant message also touched on her absence in Australia, as she added the hashtags: ‘#haventbeentoOzfor10years #ihaveajob #allaloadofmadeups**t #imnotestrangedthank-you #asyouwere’.
Meanwhile, I’m A Celebrity viewers have seen two new arrivals enter camp comedian Ian Lee and politician Kezia Dugdale. While the camp had been split into two following their addition, with Iain and Kezia fronting each team, they have now all been reunited in Croc Creek.
The two teams had been forced to battle it out in trials, with Iain’s team coming out victorious and secretly winning care packages for those that had been banished to Snake Rock.
Hitting back: But insisting the pair are very much together in the wake of Ant’s rehab stay, make-up artist Lisa had hit back on Twitter to reveal she is ‘not estranged’ from her beau
Late additions! I’m A Celebrity viewers have seen two new arrivals enter camp comedian Ian Lee and politician Kezia Dugdale
The care packages had been sent from the celebrities’ friends and family, with Stanley Johnson receiving a block of cheese, Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo being given a bottle of fake tan and Rebekah Vardy opened a pillow covered in photographs of her husband Jamie and their children.
While Ant and Dec are fronting the main show, Joe Swash has returned to present I’m A Celebrity’s spin-off show Extra Camp, alongside last year’s jungle winner Scarlett Moffatt and runner-up Joel Dommett.
Joe had found himself at the centre of rumours he was feuding with Ant, after the pair appeared to have a tense exchange on the ITV2 show, but laughing off the claims and joking it had been ‘sexual tension’.
Asked by Dec if they had ‘beef’, Ant and Joe were quick to insist there is no bad blood between them and hugged live on air.
Sweet: On Friday night’s episode, the campmates had won care packages from home, with Rebekah Vardy opened a pillow covered in photographs of her husband Jamie and their children