Ant McPartlin takes paternity leave ahead of Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals after birth of first child
ANT McPartlin told pals he’s “beyond thrilled” after becoming a dad for the first time aged 48.
His wife Anne-Marie, 46, gave birth to their son Wilder at the London Clinic on Tuesday – the same hospital where the King and Princess of Wales received treatment for cancer.
Insiders said Ant had made his best pal Declan Donnelly his son’s Godfather, after Dec made Ant the Godparent to his and Ali Astall’s two children, Isla and Jack.
The Sun first revealed Ant and Anne Marie were going to be parents for the first time in February.
Ant confirmed Anne-Marie had given birth yesterday and shared a photograph of him cradling baby Wilder on Instagram.
He said: “Welcome to the family. Wilder Patrick McPartlin. Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am
“Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess!”
Pals told The Sun how Ant had excitedly spoken about their impending arrival at the TV Baftas on Sunday night.
He was at the Royal Festival Hall with Dec and said he couldn’t wait to become a dad.
A friend added: “Ant and Anne Marie are beyond thrilled – their little family is complete.
“They’ve been overwhelmed with lovely messages from friends, family and fans and are still wading through them all now. They are incredibly grateful to everyone.
“They chose the name, Wilder, a while ago but have deliberately kept it a closely guarded secret.
“They are going to be absolutely wonderful, doting parents and Ant cannot wait to be a hands-on dad, changing the nappies and just spending time with little Wilder.”
Ant and Anne-Marie chose to have their son at the London Clinic, which is just over seven miles from the home they share with her daughters Poppy and Daisy in Chiswick.
Since he started dating Anne-Marie, Ant has become a devoted step-dad to her children.
In his Instagram post confirming Wilder’s birth, Ant showed off a tattoo of a family tree – with Amzie, his nickname for Anne-Marie, and Poppy and Daisy inked onto his arm.
A friend added: “Ant has longed to become a dad for years and being a father figure to Daisy and Poppy has brought him untold joy.
“When Anne-Marie fell pregnant, Ant was over the moon.
“They knew they were having a son for some time and Ant is looking forward to taking Wilder to his first Newcastle United game in a few years.
“For Ant, his family really does feel complete. He is on cloud nine.”
Over the weekend Ant attended the TV Baftas with his best pal Dec, who is said to be over the moon about Ant becoming a dad.
Ant will not return to work until May 27 when the Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals begin.
Ant and Anne-Marie’s love story
Ant and Anne-Marie got together following his split from Strictly Come Dancing make-up artist Lisa Armstrong in 2017.
The pair had been married for 11-years before their marriage ended with a bitter divorce the following year.
Ant handed over £31million of his estimated £50million fortune to Lisa as a part of the settlement.
Before they started their relationship, Anne-Marie worked as Ant’s personal assistant.
They married in 2021, with Dec acting as best man to Ant.
Just before Ant made the news public yesterday, Lisa shared a cryptic message on Instagram about being strong.
She posted online at around 3:30pm yesterday [TUES]: “Be proud of how you’ve been handling these past few months.
“The silent battles you’ve fought, the moments you had to humble yourself, the times you’ve wiped your own tears.
“Celebrate your strength.”
Ant and Dec's incredible career
ANT McPartlin and Declan Donnelly met on the set of Byker Grove in 1990.
The two went on to have chart success under their characters’ names – including their 1994 No1 smash hit Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble.
They haven’t looked back since then, going on to present some of the most popular shows on TV.
Here’s a rundown of some of their most popular shows – plus one “dud”.
- The Ant & Dec Show – this late afternoon kids’ entertainment series ran from 1995-1996 for 17 episodes
- Ant & Dec Unzipped – the twosome jumped from ITV to Channel 4 for this children’s sketch show in 1997
- SM:TV Live – the duo teamed up with Cat Deeley in 1998 for Saturday morning mayhem including the classic Wonkey Donkey game
- Friends Like These – the Geordie pair hopped channels again, landing on BBC One to present this game show from 1999 until 2001
- Pop Idol – before The X Factor there was Pop Idol, which ran for two seasons in 2001 and 2002 and saw Michelle McManus and Will Young crowned the winners
- I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here – the reality TV show began in 2002, with Dec presenting all 23 seasons, even one without sidekick Ant as Holly Willoughby stepped up
- Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – this show also began in 2002, but the lads said the 2024 offering would be their last
- PokerFace – Ant and Dec created this game show which aired from 2006-2007. with a top prize of £1million.
- Britain’s Got Talent – the TV series began in 2007 with the pair’s backstage antics loved by fans. They also took part in silly competitions on Stephen Mulhern‘s ITV spin-off Britain’s Got More Talent
- Red Or Black – the show only aired for two seasons in 2011 and 2012. It was one of the pair’s rare “flops” with Dec admitting “we got it wrong”
- Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win – the pair had another success on their hands when this show hit screens in 2022
He previously spoke about his desire to have children – and his heartbreaking struggles to conceive with Lisa.
In a moving interview with the Radio Times 12 years ago, before Dec started dating his now-wife Ali, Ant said: “There’s a rumour that we do everything together and I’m holding off having kids ‘til 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.
“We’ve wanted children for a while but we’re both busy.
“So Lisa and I are trying for a baby… well, we’ve been trying for a little while so fingers crossed.”
