Ant McPartlin speaks out on tattoo ‘snub’ after baby announcement

Host cleared up confusion over a missing name on his family tree shoulder tattoo

Ant McPartlin has addressed fans’ concerns over a missing name from his family tree tattoo.

The TV star and one-half of presenting duo Ant and Dec welcomed his first child with his wife, Anne-Marie Corbett, on Tuesday (14 May).

In his announcement post, McPartlin, 48, is seen cradling his newborn son Wilder against his shoulder, which bears a large tattoo of a tree.

The tree image includes branches with various names of McPartlin’s loved ones, including Amzie – a nickname for wife Anne-Marie – and their shared maltipoo dogs Milo and Bumble.

However, some onlookers noticed the lack of a mention for Hurley, the labrador he shares with his previous wife, Lisa Armstrong.

On Saturday (18 May), the Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win co-host addressed the online discussion with a new picture of his unobscured tattoo.

“Hey all, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the kind messages of love and well wishes for our baby Wilder,” McPartlin’s message began, before he added that the newborn is “doing great”.

“Glad you loved the tattoo as well,” he continued.

Ant McPartlin’s family tree tattoo (X / antanddec)

“For all you dog lovers who asked why my beloved Hurley wasn’t on the family tree… he was!! He was just covered by our newborn.

“All my love, gratitude and heartfelt thanks,” McPartlin concluded the picture caption, as the full picture of his shoulder tattoo shows a section on the bottom left side for Hurley.

In response, several fans have shared their relief over the host’s inclusion of his pet.

“Well said Ant,” one supporter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “True fans would know there is no way you would leave Hurley off your tattoo. It’s very sad that you had to do this tweet.”

Another fan added: “Omg as if people really questioned it!! Congratulations.”

Elsewhere, an additional commenter questioned why McPartlin’s best friend and long-time work partner Declan “Dec” Donnelly doesn’t feature, writing: “Why isn’t Dec on the tree?”

Ant McPartlin (Getty Images)

McPartlin and Corbett have been married since 2021. Corbett has two daughters from her previous marriage, Daisy and Poppy, who are also included in McPartlin’s family tree tattoo.

Earlier this year, Ant and Dec ended their variety show, Saturday Night Takeaway, after 20 seasons.

In an interview with The Independent, they noted their family commitments as one of the motivations for lightening their workload.

Elsewhere, the pair continue to host shows such as Britain’s Got Talent, Limitless Win and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.