Ant McPartlin reportedly made a last-minute dash from the Britain’s Got Talent launch to be with his beloved dog Hurley, as the pooch passed away this week.
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.
Sources revealed that Ant is ‘very upset’ by Hurley’s passing after he and ex Lisa agreed joint custody of him.
Ant previously credited Hurley with helping him to overcome his battle with drink and drug addiction.
It’s thought that Ant rushed to join ex Lisa at the vet hours after attending the BGT press conference in London.
The pair then made the heartbreaking decision to have Hurley put to sleep, after learning their 12-year-old dog was too ill to recover.
Ant McPartlin reportedly made a last-minute dash from the Britain’s Got Talent launch to be with his beloved dog Hurley, as the pooch passed away this week
The presenter, 50, had previously shared the pet with his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong (pictured) with the pair entering a bitter custody battle over him following their split in 2018
The Sun On Sunday reported that Ant and Lisa were both able to see Hurley beforehand, and the presenter was with the dog as he peacefully passed away.
It’s thought that the pair were being conforted by relatives, with Lisa posting a snap on Instagram on Saturday that showed a girl releasing hearts into the sky.
Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong for comment.
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.’
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.
Sources revealed that Ant is ‘very upset’ by Hurley’s passing, after he rushed to the vets, and he and ex Lisa agreed to have him put to sleep when they learned he was too ill to recover
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 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.’
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.’
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, 50, 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.’
Their romance 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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