Lisa Armstrong’s turbulent life since Ant McPartlin split – from horror house fire to fresh heartbreak & custody battle
IT would be hard for anyone to watch their ex move on and have a family with someone else, but Lisa Armstrong has had to do it in the public eye.
Ant McPartlin has revealed he is expecting a baby with his second wife, Anne-Marie, in June, having got married in 2021.
It comes after Lisa, who was married to the TV star for 11 years, stood by him through his alcohol and prescription drugs addiction, which nearly led to the end of his career.
While they still share their beloved dog, Hurley, the former couple never had children, as Ant admitted they struggled to conceive.
And pointedly, after news of his baby joy broke last week, Lisa made an emotional post about their pup, sharing a drawing that read: “Thank you for being my best friend.”
Following their sad split in 2018, the Strictly make-up artist has had a rollercoaster – and sometimes turbulent – journey, suffering more heartbreak, seeing their former home catch fire in a horror blaze and reportedly eyeing a fresh start in America.
She first met Ant in 1994, at a Smash Hits tour in Newcastle, where Deuce – the girl group she was in – was performing alongside Ant and Dec‘s rap alter-egos PJ & Duncan.
They got married in 2006, and she stood by her husband through thick and thin, even in June 2017, when he went to rehab for alcohol and drug addiction.
Writing on Twitter at the time, she said: “Completely overwhelmed by all your love & support it means so much. I’m relieved he’s receiving the help he needs, we just need him better.”
In an interview with The Sun, Ant added: “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. All I can say at the moment is that she’s been amazing — fantastic throughout.”
However, in January 2018, after months of speculation, they announced their split.
After the couple’s personal assistant Anne-Marie was seen giving Ant a packed lunch outside his house, rumours grew that the pair were dating.
When it was confirmed in June 2018, Lisa took to social media to tell her followers she had found out about their relationship in the media, and was heartbroken.
Nicola McLean told her: “I really feel for you,” to which Lisa replied: “‘Thanks babe and to think she was MY friend.”
Another fan told her: “So much for the girl code,” to which Lisa responded: “Exactly,” adding: “Yeah My Friend and OUR Pa who I let into OUR home.”
During his marriage to Lisa, Ant spoke candidly about their struggles trying for a baby.
He told Radio Times in 2013: “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.”
But, despite the fact they never had children, their divorce hit a stumbling block as their fought over custody of their beloved pet labrador Hurley in November 2018.
Ant is said to have told lawyers: “She can have anything she wants – except the dog.”
The former couple now share custody of Hurley.
Horror house fire
When the divorce was finalised in 2020, it was reported that Lisa received more than half of ex-husband Ant’s £50million fortune in their settlement.
Lisa dismissed this rumour as “nonsense” on Twitter, but she did get to keep their £5million marital home in west London, which it is understood she went on to rent out.
In September last year, however, the seven-bedroom mansion caught fire, with 40 firefighters rushing to tackle the blaze.
Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire, thought to have been caused by an electrical fault.
But a pet cat, belonging to the family renting the property, sadly died, despite efforts from firefighters to save its life.
After the fire, Lisa wrote on social media: “Once the heart gets too heavy with pain, people don’t cry. They just turn silent. Completely silent.”
Tragic split
The house fire came just a month after Lisa had broken up with her boyfriend Sky electrician James Green.
The pair were first pictured together in 2020 on a day out at a London park, having met when James was working for a company installing electric doors.
Like Lisa, James had also recently split from his ex-wife of five years and moved out of the £450,000 family home he shared with her in Winchester, Hampshire.
He and Lisa jetted off on luxurious holidays during their three years together, posting a number of loved up selfies.
Their split last August was said to have “come out of the blue”, though a source told MailOnline they would remain friends.
The insider said: “I don’t really know what has gone wrong. The two of them were only on a swanky holiday together in the Caribbean or somewhere about eight weeks ago.
“He was with her one day, and he just wasn’t with her the next day. There was no inkling that anything was wrong.”
Reports later emerged that Lisa was threatening to take James to court over claims he owed her £100,000.
However, Lisa denied this on Instagram, writing: “Just for your records I have NEVER threatened to take anyone to court.”
Cryptic posts
In the wake of Ant and Anne-Marie’s baby announcement, Lisa has been sharing some cryptic posts on Instagram.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, she posted a quote on her Instagram Stories that read: “No one is you and that is your super power.”
Hours earlier, she had reshared a post from pop star Britney Spears, of a pink background with a small heart in the middle.
Britney has also been struggling with her love life recently, as her estranged husband Sam Asghari, has nearly finalised their divorce.
In the immediate wake of Ant’s announcement, Lisa also posted about her love for Hurley.
Along with a sketch of a dog’s paws in its owner’s hands, a caption read: “Thank you for being my dog, someone to do life with, and above all, thank you for being my best friend.”
New life in LA?
Having built her reputation in showbiz as a hard-working make-up artist, it seems Lisa could be looking to make a fresh start in Hollywood.
It has been reported that she is eyeing up a new life in sunny California with her actor mate Craig Young, after her split from James reminded her of how much she was hurt by her divorce from Ant.
A source told Closer magazine last year: “Lisa’s had a really rough time of it recently and she’s been in a dark place.
“While she’s got Strictly to distract her now, she hasn’t got a lot on her schedule in the months after Christmas and is starting to dread that quiet time when she finally stops and has time to process everything.
“She’s been planning a trip out to LA to see her pal Craig Young. She loves it every time she goes there and really needs that boost right now.
“And it could lead to something more permanent – she’s debated moving there before, and now with her recent split she’s seriously considering it.”