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They split up two years ago, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong’s divorce is almost over. But you’d be wrong.
Because while Ant – who is now in a relationship with the couple’s former PA Anne-Marie Corbett – is keen to reach a settlement, Lisa is said to be stalling and wants to face him in court.
She is apparently still raw from the break-up and doesn’t see why she should have to give in to everything he wants so he can move on with his life.
Now, we’re told Ant has taken to speaking to his ex, despite their bitter feud, in a bid to get her to agree on a money deal and sign a non-disclosure agreement. If he doesn’t succeed, he’s facing a very public hearing in the High Court.
“Lisa has no intention of making anything easy for Ant or Anne-Marie,” an insider tells heat. “She likes that Ant is so eager to speak to her and feels she deserves this attention from him. She has said that she will continue talking to Ant for as long as it takes to reach an appropriate settlement, and it doesn’t even have to be this year."
The insider continues, “From the very beginning of their split, Ant has been pushing Lisa to sign an NDA to prevent her speaking about him, but she just won’t do it. She doesn’t want to feel as though she is being silenced, and she wants to be open and honest about what really happened and what she went through in the marriage and the split.
"There may be things that Ant really won’t want the public to hear, but Lisa feels that she has the right to speak out – she still feels hurt by everything that has gone on. Obviously, Anne-Marie is not happy with how slow things are moving. Lisa is commanding so much of Ant’s attention right now and they are communicating directly, which isn’t ideal.”
CHECK OUT: Celebrity splits that shocked the world
RADIO Celebrity splits that shocked the world - slider with cover pic
1 of 27Swipe through to see which celebrity splits shocked the world of showbiz
2 of 27Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Singer Miley Cyrus split from actor Liam Hemsworth in August 2019, despite only getting married in December 2018. Liam released a statement on Instagram, reading, ''Hi all. Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward.'This is a private matter and I have not made, nor will I be making, any comments to any journalists or media outlets. Any reported quotes attributed to me are false. Peace and Love.'
3 of 27Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
After meeting on the set of Step Up in 2006, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their marriage was over in April 2018. Revealing they are still great friends, the couple decided it was time to go their separate ways after almost nine years of marriage.
4 of 27Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville
After meeting on Love Island 2017, things seemed to be going very well for Gabby Allen and former Blazin' Squad member Marcel Somerville. But in May 2018 allegations that Marcel had cheated on Gabby whilst they were on holiday together surfaced, leading Gabby to reportedly "dump" Marcel.
5 of 27Jake Quickenden and Danielle Fogarty
Dancing On Ice winner Jake Quickenden and Danielle Fogarty split in April 2018, despite being engaged. Speaking in early May, Jake appeared on Lorraine and said the couple are having time apart to focus on their busy work schedules. However, Jake did add, "There's not a bad word. I was with her on Monday, we still talk and I still love her to bits, but sometimes you've got to go away to come back."
6 of 27Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
After two years of marriage, Friends actress Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux announced their split in February 2018. Jen said, "We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship."
7 of 27Anna Faris and Chris Pratt
Hollywood actors Anna Faris and Chris Pratt announced their split in August 2017. The pair shocked the world as they always seemed so loved up at events since marrying in 2004.
8 of 27Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
When Brangelina announced they were getting a divorce in 2016, fans were left in shock. The pair had been dating since 2004 and married in 2014. They have six children together.
9 of 27Fergie and Josh Duhamel
Fergie and Josh Duhamel's split rocked fans in September 2017. The couple said, "With absolute love and respect we decided to separate." The pair were married for eight years.
10 of 27Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Former One Direction star Zayn Malik popped the question to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, but just a few months later Zayn dumped his fiancé by text.
11 of 27Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris seemed very loved up with each other, until they split in 2016 and ended things on very bad terms. Calvin even ended up having a Twitter rant about his ex.
12 of 27Dougie Poynter and Ellie Goulding
Hearts broke all over the world when Ellie Goulding and Dougie Poynter announced their split. After rekindling their romance for a few months, they finally called it quits in 2016. Ellie is now engaged to Caspar Jopling.
13 of 27Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Another massive shock in the world of celeb relationships! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes split in 2012 after six years of marriage. The pair share their daughter Suri together.
14 of 27Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
After 10 years of marriage, actress Gwyneth Paltrow announced her split from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The split became famous because the former couple bizarrely entitled it "conscious uncoupling."
15 of 27Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner split in 2010 but have since remained great friends and co-parent their children.
16 of 27Jake Roche and Jesy Nelson
Despite popping the question to Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson, Rixton frontman Jake Roche couldn't make his relationship work with Jesy, causing the pair to split in 2016.
17 of 27Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney
Pop superstar Lady Gaga shocked her fans in 2016 when she revealed herself and her partner Taylor Kinney were 'taking a break' after a five-year relationship.
18 of 27Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
They were one of Hollywood's hottest couples, so it was a major shock to fans when Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom announced their split in 2013. The pair had been married for just three years.
19 of 27Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
Professor Green split with former Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh in 2016, just three years after they married. Millie is now dating her ex-boyfriend Hugo Taylor.
20 of 27Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
Singers Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale ended their marriage in 2016. The couple have three children together, Zuma, Apollo and Kingston.
21 of 27Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
They went through a number of ups and downs but Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom's relationship ended after four years of marriage, with Khloe filling for divorce from the basketball player.
22 of 27Will Arnett and Amy Poehler
Will Arnett and Amy Poehler separated back in 2012 after nine years of marriage, but it took until 2016 for the couple's divorce to be finalised.
23 of 27Ariana Grande and Mac Miller
Ariana Grande and Mac Miller announced they had split up in May 2018. The couple had been together for two year and even recorded some duets together. They reportedly chose to end their relationship due to their busy work schedules.
24 of 27Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne
After a two year romance and a baby boy, Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne announced they'd decided to go their separate ways on Sunday 1st July 2018. Releasing a joint tweet, the statement read, "We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together."
25 of 27Alexandra 'Binky' Felstead and Josh 'JP' Patterson
Despite welcoming their daughter India into the world in 2017, Made In Chelsea stars Binky and JP announced their shock split in September 2018. The couple, who vowed to remain friends with their daughter being their number one priority, released a statement on Instagram.
26 of 27Adele and Simon Konecki
Singer Adele confirmed she'd split from her husband Simon Konecki after three years of marriage. The couple share a son together.
27 of 27Maya Jama and Stormzy
After four years of dating, rapper Stormzy and TV presenter Maya Jama split up to focus on their careers.
Ant and make-up artist Lisa married in 2006, but split at the start of 2018, following the TV presenter’s second stint in rehab for alcohol and drug addiction.
It’s thought that Lisa wanted to try to save the marriage, but Ant was keen for a “quickie” divorce. Soon after their split, it was revealed he was dating Anne-Marie and Lisa regularly expressed her fury about their relationship by liking and retweeting negative posts about them.
In a later interview, Ant described mum-of-two Anne-Marie as his “rock”. He also admitted adultery in the initial divorce papers that Lisa filed. Documents said the marriage had “broken down irretrievably” and the “adultery” box was ticked as grounds for divorce. The papers added that due to the adultery, the “petitioner finds it intolerable to live with the respondent."
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The couple were granted a decree nisi in October 2018, but their decree absolute is yet to come through as they can’t agree on several things. One main issue is custody of their beloved dog Hurley – as well as splitting Ant’s £62m fortune.
But, we’re told, the main thing on Lisa’s mind is making sure she gets closure.
“Lisa still feels very hurt by the way Ant treated her and she thinks she deserves her day in court,” says the source. “She’s in no hurry to get this done, and by going to court instead of settling, she will be able to get her side of the story heard.
"Ant did a tell-all interview, where he more or less slated their time together by praising Anne-Marie for saving his life. But Lisa’s said nothing yet, and after being with him for 20 years, she’s desperate for people to know what really went on and feels confident she is doing the right thing. Lisa can be very stubborn when she needs to be and Ant begging her to sign will not deter her.”
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Ant has now flown out to Australia to present I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! after missing it last year due to his recovery.
Our insider says that, despite hoping to sort the divorce before he went, he will now concentrate on his presenting duties alongside co-host Declan Donnelly, who was joined by Holly Willoughby last year.
And Dec has recently admitted that it was touch and go whether he would work with his best friend again.
“It has been a tough couple of years, and it has tested the bond we have shared since we were 13 years old,” he said in an interview. “I was incredibly angry at the start, so angry. I was disappointed that he didn’t ever come to me and say, ‘I am struggling, I need you,’ because that is what I would do if the shoe was on the other foot. And he never came to me and that hurt me a lot.”
Thankfully, they managed to work things out, but it looks like he’s still got a long way to go with Lisa.
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