Ant McPartlin's ex Lisa Armstrong's secret turmoil after baby announcement 'broke her'

I'm A Celeb host Ant McPartlin's baby news was said to have rocked his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong, when he announced the arrival of his son Wilder in May of this year

Lisa Armstrong hinted at her 'silent battles' after her ex-husband Ant McPartlin welcomed his first child.

The former couple, who were together for 23 years, had a bitter break-up in 2018 after they struggled to conceive and Ant's career was rocked by a drug addiction scandal. The I'm A Celebrity host announced the arrival of his son in May, whom he welcomed with his wife, Anne-Marie Corbett.

Ant was seen for the first time with his baby son Wilder in Australia today as he celebrates his 49th birthday. The TV presenter, who has hosted the long-running ITV show since 2002, enjoyed some time away from filming after admitting that he was sad to leave his family for the jungle.

Back in June, Ant introduced his son Wilder Patrick McPartlin to the world with an Instagram post. He shared a black and white photo of the little one with the words: "Baby is beautiful, Mummy's a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad's a mess." The snap showed a previously unseen tattoo of a family tree on his arm.

The names Daisy, Poppy and Amzie - his stepdaughters and his wife's nickname - could be seen inked on his arm, which insiders said really affected Ant's ex Lisa. It was no secret the former couple wanted children of their own, with Ant previously admitting: "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 been trying for a little while so fingers crossed."

Lisa, a makeup artist on Strictly Come Dancing, is thought to have found out about her ex-husband's baby news by reading the news, and wasn't told ahead of time. It was reported that Ant's announcement, including the tattoo of Anne-Marie's kids, cut her deep.

A friend told Mail Online at the time: "It is a tragedy. She missed her chance to have a baby and now she has to see Ant flaunting that tattoo on social media. He really didn't need to do that. It feels like he was rubbing her face in it. You have to remember we are talking about a story of great sadness here, she gave Ant everything and at the end of it all, ended up with an empty crib."

Around the news of his baby announcement, Lisa took to social media to share some cryptic quotes, hinting at 'silent battles'. One read: "Be proud of how you have been handling these past few months. The silent battles you've fought, the moments you've had to humble yourself, the times you've wiped your own tears. Celebrate your strength."

Another quote read: "I no longer listen to what people say, I just watch what they do. Behaviour never lies." Social behaviour and relationships expert Judi James told The Mirror at the time that Lisa was 'torn between' staying silent and pouring out her emotions. She explained: "Lisa's posts sound cryptic, a very tiny wave to the fans to hint at her feelings.

"Her first 'big hint' came following the birth and it reads like a motivational pep talk someone had sent her. Her hint is presumably that it was accurate about the 'humbling yourself' and 'wiping your own tears'. Without writing a personal description of her feelings and emotions, this post seems to suggest that is what Lisa has been going through."