Nadia Sawalha has said that Dec Donnelly will no longer have to longer lie and cover up for Ant McPartlin now he has returned to rehab.
She made the prediction during yesterday's discussion on Loose Women, saying: “We’re all talking about Ant and it’s a terrible situation, but I was thinking, ‘poor Dec,’ so hard for him as well, he’s out on a limb without him.
Nadia, who's husband Mark Aderley was in rehab for alcohol addiction 15 years ago, continued: “They’re partners, aren’t they, and I know when Mark went into rehab, so much of it is saying to the partner, ‘You can’t cover for them anymore, you can’t lie for them, there can be no denial here.’
“And I suppose there is this pressure as they are these squeaky clean stars and they have to keep up this image, and it must be terribly taxing on Dec."
It's been reported that Ant has now started rehab and is only allowed contact with his mother and Dec during this time.
A source told The Sun: “Ant is now out of things professionally, completely cut off from everything. He’s checked out. His mum Christine is still at the house as she lives there too and Dec is in touch by phone — but purely as his best friend. They aren’t talking about work.
“Ant is very ill and it would be unfair to involve him in very difficult discussions about the TV shows while so much else is going on.