Ant McPartlin has bravely spoken about his addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol for the first time since leaving rehab at the weekend. The TV star, who was inundated with messages of support from his fans, returned to social media on Sunday night to thank all those who had reached out to him. "Have to say I'm overwhelmed by everyone's love, support and well wishes today," he told his 6.65million followers, tweeting from the official account he shares with partner Declan Donnelly. "Thank you one and all. I'm sending all my love back. A xxx."
© Photo: Getty ImagesAnt McPartlin has thanked fans for their support after leaving rehab at the weekend
The 41-year-old's message came after the I'm A Celebrity presenter revealed the true extent of his addictions in a candid interview with The Sun on Sunday. He first became dependent on prescription medication following a knee operation in 2014, which ultimately led to him popping pills "willy nilly".
"I have spoken out because I think it is important that people ask for help if they are going through a rough time and get the proper treatment to help their recovery," he said. Recalling an episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, when he and Dec performed with Take That, Ant admitted: "The pain I was in was just ridiculous. I knew there was a dance routine involved. I took a load of stuff that day just to get through the day. And I couldn't feel anything on the night. But that did a lot of damage."
© Photo: Getty ImagesAnt and Dec will be back on screens in November
The star said it wasn't until June of this year when he admitted to wife Lisa Armstrong and Dec that he was in trouble. "I was so embarrassed about it," he said. "Dec came round and he kind of knew it was at the point where I needed help. We had an hour's conversation, then I packed my bag and I went [to rehab]." He added: "I'm off everything now. Just your basic paracetamol and coping with the pain. I'm still in pain but managing it a lot better." Ant is set to return to work alongside Dec in November, when the pair team up to host I'm A Celebrity 2017.
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