Ant McPartlin has welcomed his first child with wife Anne-Marie Corbett and he made sure to pay tribute to his stepdaughters, Daisy and Poppy, in the announcement.
Anne-Marie gave birth to a baby boy named Wilder Patrick McPartlin on Tuesday and Ant shared the happy news on Instagram. The Saturday Night Takeaway star posted a black-and-white photo of himself cradling the newborn, revealing a never-before-seen tattoo of a family tree.
The ink has five names concealed in the branches, including Ant's stepdaughters. The 48-year-old shares a sweet bond with Daisy and Poppy and has shared some loving tributes to them. Here, we've taken a look inside their sweet bond.
Never-before-seen tattoo
Announcing the birth of his son on Instagram, Ant wrote: "Welcome to the family Wilder Patrick Mcpartlin. Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess!"
The picture showed off a never-seen-before tattoo on his shoulder which featured a large family tree. Within the branches are five names - Amzie, Daisy, Poppy, Bumble and Milo.
The names hold a lot of sentimental value to Ant. When he started dating Anne-Marie, he became a stepdad to her two daughters from her previous marriage - Poppy and Daisy. Milo and Bumble are the names of their two adorable Maltipoo puppies, while Amzie is Ant's nickname for his wife.
Emotional tribute
Ant has a very close bond with his stepdaughters Daisy and Poppy, who Anne-Marie shares with her ex-husband Scott Corbett. Previously speaking to The Telegraph, Ant said: "I've got two step-daughters, 13 and 15, and they are more socially aware at that age than I was in my mid-20s – than I still am.
"It's not going to be our generation that saves the world. Look at Greta Thunberg, single-handedly almost making the world aware of climate change. It's that kind of energy that this generation has got and they'll save the rest of us."
Back in October, Ant took his eldest stepdaughter to a Newcastle United match alongside his best pal Declan Donnelly. The trio all wore Newcastle United scarves as they cheered for the Magpies.
Ant has had his fair share of struggles over the years. He battled with an addition to prescription drugs following a knee injury and has had two stints in rehab. In 2018, he took a career break after crashing his car and getting arrested for drink driving.
Luckily, Ant was supported by his family and he's praised his wife as being his "rock" as she helped him with his addiction. "Anne-Marie honestly is the fundamental reason for the great change in my life," he told the Sun on Sunday.
Baby joy
Ant longed to have children for years before he became a father. He's been open about having fertility struggles with his ex-wife of 11 years, Lisa Armstrong, and was forced to address rumours that he was waiting until his pal Dec had met someone before he had children.
Setting the record straight, he told Radio Times in 2013: "There's a rumour that we do everything together and I'm holding off having kids till Dec finds himself Mrs Right." He said he "loved" the idea, but admitted he had wanted children "for a while".
He said: "I love that idea, but I'm afraid it's not true. Lisa and I would love to have kids. We're trying," before adding: "It's tougher than you think."
Ant was also left feeling "bittersweet" when Dec announced he was expecting his first child with wife Ali in March 2018. A source told The Mirror at the time: "Ant is thrilled for Dec and Ali but the news sparked other emotions because he has always wanted children. There is some heartache and it is a bittersweet moment. Ant has gone into rehab and has recently split from his wife Lisa, so his life is just not the same as the one Ant has right now."
Ant and Anne-Marie then announced their joyful baby news on Instagram this week after deciding not to announce their pregnancy publicly. Anne-Marie, 46, gave birth to a little baby boy at 8.54am on Tuesday.
Ant and Dec are now taking time away from their hit show Saturday Night Takeaway so they can spend more time with their families. "We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath," Ant admitted when announcing the shock news last year.
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