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Ant McPartlin 'made a desperate dash from Britain's Got Talent' to be with his beloved dog Hurley after vets said the 12-year-old pet was 'too ill to recover'.
The presenter, 50, had previously shared the pet with his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong, with the pair entering a bitter custody battle over him following their split in 2018.
The upset star rushed out of the BGT press conference in London to be with his dog and say his goodbyes before he was put to sleep.
It is thought that Ant's ex Lisa was also at the vets at the same time as the I'm A Celebrity star, according to The Sun.
Ant has previously credited his dog Hurley for helping him through his drink and drug addiction amid his bitter divorce from Lisa.
His career appeared to be in tatters when he was arrested for drink-driving close to his London home.
Ant McPartlin'made a desperate dash from Britain's Got Talent' to be with his beloved dog Hurley after vets said the 12-year-old pet was 'too ill to recover' (Ant, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell, KSI and Declan Donnelly L-R)
The upset star rushed out of the BGT press conference in London to be with his dog and say his goodbyes before he was put to sleep
Ant was later handed a record £86,000 fine - thought to be the highest fine ever handed out by a British court for the offence.
At the time of the ordeal, Ant was pictured looking dishevelled and out of sorts after colliding with a BMW after taking his dogs for a walk in nearby Richmond Park.
Ant previously spoke about his bond with Hurley during an interview with The Sun On Sunday in 2019, following his stint in rehab.
He said: 'There's a loyalty and a love and a companionship with Hurley that you can't describe. He never tells me off and is always pleased to see me.
'I came out of a shop the other day and there was a woman on the floor cuddling Hurley. She said to me, "It's the dog from the papers!" Hurley's a celebrity.'
In 2017, before splitting from wife Lisa, he argued to have visits from the dog while in residential rehab, even though he couldn’t see his wife.
The Saturday Night Takeaway star split from Lisa in 2018 after 11 years of marriage and went on to marry his former personal assistant, Anne-Marie, in 2021.
Ant is said to have refused to surrender full custody of Hurley to his ex during their divorce battle, reportedly telling lawyers: 'She can have anything she wants – except the dog.'
Ant has previously credited his dog Hurley for helping him through his drink and drug addiction amid his bitter divorce from Lisa
The presenter had previously shared the pet with his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong, with the pair entering a bitter custody battle over him following their split in 2018 (pictured together)
The arrangement led to the TV presenter's chauffeur ferrying the dog between the two of them so they did not have to see each other.
The pair adopted the dog in 2013 after struggling to have children together during their 13-year marriage.
Lisa had regularly shared snaps of Hurley on Instagram, calling the beloved dog her 'baby boy'.
Her last post with Hurley showed him lying on her bed to mark International Dog Day in August last year.
Ant became a father for the first time in May 2024, when he welcomed his first child, son Wilder, with wife Anne-Marie. The couple also have two Maltipoos, Milo and Bumble.
It comes after it was reported last week that Lisa has split from her actor boyfriend Grant Kilburn.
The Strictly make-up artist and Grant are said to have parted ways last month, just weeks after friends claimed she was 'happier than ever' in her new relationship.
Of their split, a source told The Mirror: 'It's very sad but it wasn't to be.'
It is thought that Ant's ex Lisa was also at the vets at the same time as the I'm A Celebrity star
The Daily Mail has contacted Lisa's representatives for comment.
Just weeks ago, insiders said Lisa had found a renewed sense of happiness and energy following her marriage breakdown to Ant in 2018.
A source told the publication at the time: 'She's been so used to being in relationships where she played second fiddle.
'This time, she's number one. She's taking it slow, she doesn't want to get hurt again – but she's being treated like a princess and her new man cannot do enough for her.
'His life revolves around hers and he adores her - and he tells her so all the time. She's doing so well with her career, she's come into her own right and he's encouraged that.'
It was revealed by the Daily Mail back in December that Grant and Lisa quickly hit it off after being introduced by Stacey and Kevin Clifton following one of their performances.
In 2023, she split from her boyfriend James Green, a Sky electrician, 42, and he moved out of her home.
In the same year, a fire ripped through the £5million home she bought in Chiswick after her divorce.
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