Ant McPartlin’s rumoured new girlfriend says his ex-wife SACKED her

In June 2018, a public spat unfolded on Twitter (now X) when Lisa Armstrong, the estranged wife of TV presenter Ant McPartlin, accused Anne-Marie Corbett, Ant’s rumored new girlfriend and their former personal assistant, of betraying her friendship. Lisa’s tweets suggested Anne-Marie, once a trusted friend welcomed into their home, had breached “girl code” by starting a relationship with Ant after his rehab stint. Anne-Marie, in response, denied claims of a close friendship, asserting she was sacked by Lisa and that their relationship was strained. This article revisits the 2018 Twitter dispute, examines the conflicting narratives, and explores whether recent developments shed new light on the saga.

The Twitter Firestorm: Lisa’s Accusations

The drama erupted in June 2018, months after Ant and Lisa announced their divorce in January 2018, following 11 years of marriage. Ant, then 42, had faced a turbulent year, including a drink-driving incident in March 2018, a £86,000 fine, and a second rehab stay (Daily Mail, August 25, 2018). As Ant stepped back from presenting duties, reports surfaced that he was dating Anne-Marie Corbett, who had served as the couple’s PA for six years (London Evening Standard, June 22, 2018).

Lisa, a makeup artist for Strictly Come Dancing, took to Twitter to express her heartbreak. In now-deleted tweets, she responded to a supporter, writing, “Yeah My Friend and OUR pa who I let into OUR home” (London Evening Standard, June 19, 2018). Another tweet she liked claimed Anne-Marie broke “girl code,” implying a betrayal of trust (Daily Mail, October 22, 2018). Lisa’s posts painted Anne-Marie as a friend who exploited her proximity to Ant, especially painful given Anne-Marie’s role in organizing Ant and Lisa’s 10-year anniversary trip to Portugal in 2016 (London Evening Standard, June 22, 2018). Sources close to Lisa told The Sun she felt “angry and hurt,” believing Anne-Marie had been a confidante (Daily Mail, October 21, 2018).

Lisa’s social media activity continued to fuel the narrative. She liked tweets calling Ant “insensitive” and “disrespectful” during his August 2018 Florence holiday with Anne-Marie (Daily Mail, August 25, 2018). By October 2018, after their divorce was finalized, Lisa was reportedly warned to stop attacking Anne-Marie online, but she persisted, liking posts branding the couple as “mocking” her (Daily Mail, December 22, 2018). Her actions suggested deep wounds, compounded by Anne-Marie’s prior role in their lives.

Anne-Marie’s Rebuttal: “Not Friends, Just Colleagues”

Anne-Marie, through a source close to her, swiftly countered Lisa’s claims. In June 2018, The Sun reported that Anne-Marie was “hurt and angry” at being portrayed as a friend who betrayed Lisa (London Evening Standard, June 19, 2018). The source claimed Lisa had “sacked” Anne-Marie as their PA, and the two “often clashed,” never sharing a true friendship (Daily Mail, June 19, 2018). Anne-Marie’s camp insisted she and Lisa didn’t see “eye-to-eye,” and her dismissal preceded any romantic involvement with Ant, which began after his rehab (Daily Mail, June 19, 2018).

This narrative positioned Anne-Marie as a professional caught in a messy divorce, not a scheming friend. Court documents from the divorce, cited by Daily Mail (December 22, 2018), confirmed Ant had “committed adultery” with Anne-Marie, which Lisa found “intolerable,” but Anne-Marie’s team maintained her relationship with Ant started only after the marriage ended. The source emphasized Anne-Marie’s distress at Lisa’s public attacks, noting she felt unfairly targeted (London Evening Standard, June 19, 2018).

The Context: A Painful Divorce

The dispute must be understood within the context of Ant and Lisa’s high-profile split. Married in 2006, the couple faced challenges, including Ant’s struggles with prescription drug addiction and a 2017 rehab stay (Daily Mail, February 10, 2024). Their attempts to conceive were “tough,” as Ant shared in a 2013 Radio Times interview, adding strain (Daily Mail, February 10, 2024). By December 2017, they separated, and Ant’s relationship with Anne-Marie emerged in June 2018, shortly after his March 2018 drink-driving crash (Daily Mail, August 25, 2018).

Lisa’s sense of betrayal was heightened by Anne-Marie’s role as their PA, a position Lisa reportedly helped her secure (Daily Mail, February 10, 2024). Anne-Marie’s involvement in personal milestones, like the 2016 anniversary party, made her transition to Ant’s partner feel like a “major girl code breach” (Daily Mail, October 22, 2018). Meanwhile, Ant’s 2019 interview with The Sun on Sunday, where he credited Anne-Marie with “saving” him post-crash, was labeled “disrespectful” by Lisa, who felt he downplayed their 11-year marriage (The Irish Sun, January 21, 2019).

Recent Developments: Any Reconciliation?

Fast-forward to 2024, when Ant and Anne-Marie welcomed their son, Wilder Patrick McPartlin, on May 14, 2024 (Daily Mail, May 15, 2024). The birth coincided with Lisa posting a cryptic message about “silent battles” on Instagram, interpreted as a response to Ant’s happy news (Daily Mail, May 15, 2024). Earlier, in April 2024, Lisa showed rare support for Ant’s Saturday Night Takeaway finale, suggesting a softening of tensions (Daily Mail, April 14, 2024). However, her 2023 post about “karma” after Anne-Marie appeared pregnant indicates lingering resentment (Daily Mail, December 28, 2023).

No recent Twitter (X) conflicts have been reported as of May 5, 2025, suggesting the public feud has quieted. Ant’s focus on fatherhood and his parenting diary, as covered previously, shows him prioritizing family with Anne-Marie, who has two daughters from a prior marriage (The Mirror, May 15, 2024). Lisa, meanwhile, has maintained a lower profile, focusing on her Strictly work and personal healing, as seen in her tributes to her late father (Daily Mail, May 19, 2024).

Why the 2018 Dispute Still Resonates

The 2018 Twitter clash remains a touchstone for fans due to its raw emotion and public nature. Lisa’s willingness to engage on social media, despite reported legal warnings, reflected her pain and resonated with supporters who saw her as wronged (Daily Mail, October 21, 2018). Anne-Marie’s rebuttal, though less vocal, highlighted the complexity of personal relationships under public scrutiny. The dispute also tapped into broader themes of loyalty and betrayal, as discussed in The Guardian (March 2025) on navigating post-divorce dynamics.

Social media amplified the drama, with X (then Twitter) serving as a battleground for Lisa’s supporters and detractors. Posts like those Lisa liked, calling Ant a “lying addict” (Mirror, October 22, 2018), show how fans fueled the narrative. The lack of direct communication between Ant and Lisa, as Ant admitted in 2019 (The Irish Sun, January 21, 2019), likely prolonged the tension.

The Truth: A Matter of Perspective

The truth likely lies in a gray area. Lisa’s claim of friendship with Anne-Marie is supported by their professional overlap and shared moments, like the 2016 trip (London Evening Standard, June 22, 2018). Anne-Marie’s denial suggests a more formal relationship, possibly strained by workplace dynamics (Daily Mail, June 19, 2018). Both women were navigating Ant’s addiction and divorce, with Lisa facing the end of a long marriage and Anne-Marie stepping into a new role. The Twitter spat was less about facts and more about hurt feelings, amplified by public interest in Ant’s redemption arc.

Moving Forward

As of 2025, the feud appears dormant, with no recent X posts reigniting the conflict. Ant and Anne-Marie’s focus on their son and blended family, including her daughters, suggests stability (The Mirror, May 15, 2024). Lisa’s cryptic posts indicate unresolved pain, but her professional success and support for Ant’s work hint at healing (Daily Mail, April 14, 2024). The 2018 Twitter clash remains a raw chapter, but time and distance seem to have cooled the public drama.

In the end, the dispute was a collision of personal grief and public personas, with Twitter as the stage. While Anne-Marie spoke out to defend her truth, and Lisa voiced her betrayal, both women have moved forward, leaving the silver-wrapped mystery of their past behind.