Heartbroken warring exes Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong cremate their beloved Labrador Hurley... and split his ashes 50/50

Ant McPartlin and ex-wife Lisa Armstrong's beloved dog Hurley has been cremated - and the feuding exes have divided his ashes in half.

The Daily Mail can reveal the former couple will each hold their own private individual memorial ceremonies for the brown Labrador, who passed away last month.

Insiders have told how the pair, who became embroiled in a bitter £30million divorce battle following their 2018 split, reunited for the first time in eight years for their pet's final hours.

Following Hurley's death, Ant, 50, jetted off to Portugal, while Lisa, 49, headed for Los Angeles, to grieve for their much-loved dog.

While the pair were overseas, sources close to the couple told how they organised for Hurley's remains to be cremated and his ashes split in half which they'll collect individually.

A friend said: 'Ant and Lisa agreed to share Hurley's ashes 50/50. It's a decision they felt was fair and it means they'll both be able to hold their own farewells.

'Ant has already collected his ashes, while Lisa intends to do likewise when she returns from her trip.

'It's likely the ashes will be buried in their own respective gardens so they'll both be able to regularly pay their respects to Hurley.'

Ant recently told how Hurley passed away in his arms, aged 12-and-a-half.

The TV host said his death was a 'shock' and 'all the family' were at the vets around him for his final moments.

They both agreed for Hurley to be put down after being told he became too ill to recover from a recent illness.

Ant joined Lisa at a vets after he had earlier been working at ITV's Britain's Got Talent media conference at the Ham Yard Hotel in London's Soho.

Insiders told the Daily Mail that losing Hurley became too much for Lisa and she wasn't able to be with the Labrador as he was put to sleep, leaving Ant on his own with the pet before he passed.

Speaking about Hurley's death last week on his new podcast he co-hosts with Declan Donnelly, Ant said: 'He passed away in my arms.

'We were at the vet and we were all there to see him, all the family, everyone that he loved was there, and it was all very sad, but it was a very lovely moment when we all got to say goodbye to him.'

He continued: 'I've cried a lot. I've cried... for anyone that's lost a pet that is beloved to them, then my heart goes out to you and I know how you feel because it's tough.

'You're just reminded of him all the time, you know, wherever you go, the walks, because I've still got two other dogs, so I still have to take them for walks, so the walks that we go on, the walks that we used to go on with him, I'd cry in the middle of walks and I cried making their dog food because the bowls are next to his bowl, but it's been awful, but thank you.'

'Thank you for coming over. Thank you for speaking to me. I'll never, not thank you for that, because it actually, it's really quite soothing and it does help. 

'And it's nice to hear if you've ever lost a pet or a dog, especially that you're close to that, just how much it means to you, so, thanks.'

Lisa, meanwhile, paid her own tribute to Hurley by sharing a series of throwback snaps of the mutt as a puppy, showing off his joyful life on dog walks and at her home.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the Strictly makeup artist posted the poem Rainbow Bridge in tribute to Hurley.

Hurley was the last remaining link between Ant and Lisa.

The childhood sweethearts married in 2006 and introduced Hurley into their lives in 2013, largely due to their struggle to have children together.

Following their split, the former couple were embroiled in a bitter custody battle over the canine, finally agreeing to share him on a week-to-week basis.

Such was the animosity between the pair, Lisa's mother and Ant's PA were usually involved in transporting Hurley to their respective houses, as the exes couldn't bear seeing each other.

Lisa was determined to win sole custody of Harley, especially as Ant had two other maltipoo dogs with his new partner Anne-Marie Corbett, whom he married in 2021, called Milo and Bumble.

The couple have since had their first child, Wilder, in May 2024.

The custody of Hurley, like the divvying up of their properties and responsive fortunes, was finalised by the courts.

And now Hurley has passed, Lisa now has no links with Ant whatsoever.

An insider said: 'Hurley was the only connection Lisa and Ant had, so his passing really is the end of an era.

'It's unlikely they'll ever speak or see each other again.

'They have totally separate lives, different social groups.

'In some respects, that's probably the only positive from Hurley's passing - they can now both have a clean break from one another.'

Ant credited Hurley for helping him overcome his high-profile addiction battles, which saw him spend time in rehab in 2019.

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.'

Hurley enjoyed regular trips to the groomers and spent a holiday with Ant and his family last summer.

Ant once told how Hurley was allowed to visit him in rehab after his drink-drive conviction in 2018.