By Katie Hind Consultant Editor Showbusiness
22:15 27 Dec 2023, updated 22:46 27 Dec 2023
For decades Ant McPartlin has dreamed of becoming a father.
And now, with the star aged 48, it appears that his wife Anne-Marie Corbett may be expecting their first child.
The former personal assistant, 46, was seen glowing as she arrived at Heathrow airport yesterday on the way to a New Year break to Dubai, appearing to be several months pregnant.
Dressed in a loose black dress and yellow woollen cardigan, she smiled as she pushed her luggage towards the terminal.
Meanwhile, McPartlin was beaming as he wished fellow travellers a merry Christmas.
One onlooker said: ‘He couldn’t stop smiling, he looked like the happiest man in the world.’
It would be the final part of the love story for the pair, who got together after meeting while she worked for McPartlin and his former wife, Lisa Armstrong.
The ITV star credits Ms Corbett, who has two teenage daughters with her ex-husband, for getting him through his alcohol and prescription drug addictions.
There have been rumours swirling for some months that the couple might be expecting – particularly after Ms Corbett decided against flying to Australia to be at her husband’s side as while he hosted ITV’s I’m A Celebrity.
Instead, he was there alone while his on-screen partner Declan Donnelly was joined by his wife Ali Astall and their two children, Isla, five, and Jack, one.
However, friends say McPartlin’s ex Ms Armstrong will be ‘very upset’ if her former partner’s happy news is confirmed – because she too was desperate to become a mother.
In fact, it is believed that she and McPartlin tried for a baby for several years and she was devastated when their marriage ended in 2018, still childless.
For make-up artist Ms Armstrong, who shares a brown labrador named Hurley with her ex-husband, what has made it harder is that Ms Corbett worked for them as a PA before she began dating McPartlin.
A friend said: ‘Anne-Marie was Lisa’s friend, and she was heavily involved in getting her the job working for the McPartlins.
‘Lisa would send Anne-Marie’s children birthday and Christmas presents, she even went on holiday with them, and then bang, it all changed.’
McPartlin was always open about his desire to be a father.
In 2013 he revealed the couple’s struggles, saying: ‘There’s a rumour that I’m holding off having kids till Dec finds himself Mrs Right.
‘I love that idea, but I’m afraid it’s not true. Lisa and I would love to have kids. We’re trying. It’s tougher than you think when you get a bit older.’
McPartlin and Ms Armstrong – a former singer in the now defunct pop band Deuce – married in 2006 at a lavish ceremony at Cliveden House in Berkshire.
They split in September 2018 after he checked into rehab for addiction issues.
A lengthy divorce battle followed, mostly over the TV star’s £60million fortune.
Ms Corbett split from her husband Scott Corbett shortly before she began dating McPartlin.
The presenter and Ms Corbett married in 2021. Two years earlier he had described her as a ‘lifesaver’.
He said: ‘She’s been my rock. She’s a beautiful soul. We’re very happy. I’m in the best place I’ve been in my life. It’s great.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
