Ant McPartlin has been spotted for the first time with his baby son Wilder in Australia as he marks his 49th birthday. The I’m A Celebrity presenter was seen enjoying a break from filming, taking in some quality time with his son, holding him lovingly during a picturesque walk.
The beloved Geordie TV host affectionately embraced little Wilder, having previously shared his sorrow over leaving his family for the series filming duties in the jungle.
Ant kept cool in the sizzling Aussie summer wearing a white tee and patterned shorts, completing his laid-back birthday ensemble with sunglasses while bonding with his infant son. The popular television personality has presented the hit ITV reality show since its inception in 2002—except for the 2018 season when he took a year’s hiatus following a well-publicised drink-driving charge.
Ant, alongside his long-serving co-host Declan Donnelly, 49, surprised audiences when they stepped down from their weekend programme Saturday Night Takeaway after two decades. At the time, Ant expressed his intention to leave the show to allow more time with his family.
it’s been reported recently that he has been feeling “sad” about having to depart from his young son while fulfilling his presenting role on I’m A Celeb in Australia, reports the Mirror.
The much-loved TV personality has been hitched to Anne-Marie Corbett since 2021 and they joyously welcomed their first child together,Wilder, earlier this year. A delighted Ant shared his emotions on social media: “Welcome to the family, Wilder Patrick Mcpartlin. Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54 am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess! ” He revealed the birth with an adorable photo of the newborn cosied up to him.
Recently, it was reported that Ant is grappling with homesickness while in Australia, having had to leave Anne-Marie and baby Wilder back home. According to a source speaking to OK! Magazine: “Ant is feeling really emotional about being so far away from Anne-Marie and Wilder. It’s the longest he has left them for and it’s going to be so difficult.”
Just last year, there was astonishment amongst fans when Ant, alongside his sidekick Dec, announced the 2024 season of Saturday Night Takeaway would be their curtain call, aiming to scale back work commitments to cherish more family time. In an Instagram announcement, Ant revealed: “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.”
Their decision also resonated on a personal level, as discussed in a revealing chat with Fault magazine, where Ant admitted: “On a more personal level, part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family.
“We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit. We need time to think and, and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now.”
It comes as ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! fans slammed the show during the opening episode of the 2024 season after a technical issue prevented many from voting.
Sunday night welcomed a bevy of stars, including WAG Coleen Rooney, McFly’s Danny Jones, Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse, and N-Dubz sensation Tulisa Contostavlos, into the jungle for their first taste of camp life. In an initial challenge, the original ten celebs were paired off in a race to reach the camp.
Tulisa and Coronation Street favourite Alan Halsall clinched the title of first arrivals at camp, granting them immunity from the inaugural public vote, set to decide who would face the stomach-churning Vile Volcano trial. However, when it was time to cast their votes, viewers hit a snag as a technical hiccup thwarted their efforts.
Disgruntled fans vented on social media about the glitch, with one peckishly typing on X: “It wont let me votee #ImACeleb” while including a tearful emoji. Another viewer grumbled: “Omg is anyone else’s voting crashing because we’re all rushing to vote for GK Barry…#ImACeleb.”
A third exasperated spectator moaned: “Is the voting app thing not working for anyone else? #imaceleb.”
Some viewers expressed their frustration at the intrusive personal data requirements of the app, with one perturbed fan taking to Twitter to vent: “F**KING HELL IVE DOWNLOADED THE APP WHY DO I NEED TO PUT IN MY PHONE NUMBER TO VOTE #ImACeleb.”
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