Ant McPartlin started wedding speech with ‘joke about his alcoholism struggles’

TV star took a year off presenting after checking into rehab in 2018

Ant McPartlin reportedly joked about his struggles with alcoholism during his wedding speech.

The TV presenter married Anne-Marie Corbett in Hampshire on Saturday (7 August). Declan Donnelly, his long-time presenting partner and best friend, was McPartlin’s best man.

Celebrity guests included David Walliams, Simon Cowell and Cat Deeley, with the Daily Mail reporting that McPartlin referenced his former alcoholism, which he said Corbet has helped him overcome.

“Hi, I’m Ant and I’m an alcoholic,” McPartlin is said to have quipped at the beginning of the speech.

The report also says that, later in the speech, McPartlin thanked Corbett’s “amazing” daughters for welcoming him into their family, stating: “I’m grateful that they call me dad.”

Donnelly reportedly called McPartlin “a best friend a man can have”.

In 2017, McPartlin checked into rehab. In March 2018, the TV star was charged with drink driving after being involved in a collision with two other cars in Richmond. He re-entered rehab and took a year off from his presenting duties.

Ant McPartlin married Anne-Marie Corbett in Hampshire (Instagram @antanddec)

He was replaced on I’m a Celebrity.... Get Me Out of Here! by Holly Willoughby, who was unable to attend the wedding.

This is the second time McPartlin has been married. His previous wife was Lisa Armstrong; the pair divorced in 2020.

Ahead of the wedding ceremony, both McPartlin and Donnelly – known as Ant and Dec – temporarily quit social media.

The Independent has contacted McPartlin for comment.