Ant McPartlin has broken his silence following his court appearance on Monday. The 42-year-old was fined £86,000 and given a 20-month driving ban after he pleaded guilty to drink driving. "I just want to say that I'm truly sorry," he said outside Wimbledon Magistrates Court. "Higher standards are expected of me. I expect them of myself. I let myself down. I let a lot of people down and for that I am truly sorry." He added: "I would like to apologise to everybody involved in the crash and I am just thankful that nobody was seriously hurt in this."
Ant McPartlin broke his silence following his court appearance
During the court proceedings, Ant's barrister Liam Walker said his client had been seeking help for "alcohol and emotional issues" at the time of the accident in Richmond last month. The court heard that Ant had 75mg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - twice the legal limit. "Anthony McPartlin is sorry and is doing everything he can to ensure this never happens again," Mr Walker said. "He hopes that in time he can make himself better and that he might be forgiven by all of the many people he knows and he feels he has let down terribly."
READ: Ant McPartlin's lawyer talks about the star's marriage breakdown and alcohol abuse
The TV star pictured arriving at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court
Ant was arrested on 21 March after failing a breathalyser test, following a three-vehicle collision. He was originally scheduled to appear in court on 4 April, however, his hearing was adjourned. Following his arrest in March, Ant's publicist confirmed that the star would be taking time off from his TV commitments "for the foreseeable future" and would be seeking further treatment. Ant was absent for the final two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway, with co-host and best friend Declan Donnelly taking the reins, and will not appear in the upcoming live episodes of Britain's Got Talent.
MORE: Ant McPartlin pleads guilty to drink driving during court appearance