Ant McPartlin revealed that he has reconciled with his estranged father after the pair hadn't spoke for many years. Speaking on his new documentary series with is showbiz partner, Declan Donnelly, Ant admitted that his father Ray left their family when Ant was ten-years-old, and that he decided to reach out to him after turning 40.
Ant opened up about reconciling with his father
Speaking to the camera on Ant and Dec's DNA Journey, he explained: "My dad left the family when I was about 10 and I’ve seen him sporadically over the years. I haven’t seen him for a long while now. We didn’t speak for quite a while… but last year we started texting each other and I spoke to him on the phone for my birthday, which was lovely. To be fair, life is too short. There is no point holding grudges or anything like that. You get to that age… I turned 40 and I just thought let’s stop messing about, let’s get in touch because you never know what’s going to happen."
He added that he was "thrilled" that they are back in touch, saying: "He’s good, he’s funny. I’m slowly getting to know him again. He's a proud man, a worker, a plumber. I’m thrilled that I’m back in touch." It has been a difficult couple of years for Ant, who took a long break from his television work after his struggle with painkiller and alcohol addiction led to a drink drive car crash. The pair spoke about Ant's journey to recovery on the show, and how their friendship suffered as a result.
Ant was charged with drink driving in 2018
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Dec candidly said: "It has been a tough couple of years and it has tested the bond we have shared since we were 13. I was incredibly angry at the start, so angry. 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." Ant added: "The last few years have been quite emotional, hard. They have been testing, I would say, in terms of how strong your love is and how strong your friendship is."
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