Dermot O'Leary: It's great to see Ant back with Dec

21 January 2018

Dermot O'Leary is thrilled to see Ant McPartlin back on TV screens with his presenting partner Declan Donnelly.

Dermot O'Leary

The 44-year-old presenter - who will host Tuesday's (23.01.18) National Television Awards - is good pals with the Geordie pair and is always texting them to see how they are getting on, and has enjoyed seeing Ant bounce back after a tough year, which saw him have a stint in rehab and file for divorce from his wife Lisa Armstrong.

Dermot told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It's great to see the boys back on, back working together. I text both of them a fair bit - but it would be ungallant for me to share those."

Ant confirmed last week that he and his spouse are ending their 11-year marriage after a turbulent 12 months in which the TV star was admitted to rehab after becoming reliant on alcohol and drugs following a botched knee operation.

His representative said: "In response to the recent speculation in the media, Ant is very sad to announce that, after 11 years, he is ending his marriage to Lisa McPartlin.

"Ant asks for privacy at this difficult time, for both himself, Lisa and their immediate families.

"No further statement will be made."

The 42-year-old heartthrob and 'Strictly Come Dancing' make-up artist Lisa, 41, have known each other for 23 years and tied the knot in 2006.

He previously admitted he put his partner "through hell" because of his "mood swings" when he battled with depression and struggled with addiction.

The 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' host had said that things started to spiral out of control two years ago when he had an operation to fix cartilage in his right knee.

In a bid to numb the pain, Ant began taking the prescription drug Tramadol and soon realised that he'd become hooked on the painkiller, which can cause speech disturbances, lack of co-ordination, headaches and drowsiness.

Speaking previously, the 'Saturday Night Takeaway' star said: "I've put Lisa through hell with mood swings and depression and how it affects you.

"I'm very sorry about the effect it has on partners. This kind of stuff puts strains on any marriage."