Ant McPartlin's ex wife Lisa Armstrong makes rare public gesture of support for ITV star

Ant McPartlin's ex-wife Lisa Armstrong recently showed that the bitter war between them may have cooled with an unexpected gesture.

The pair were together for 23 years, 11 of which they were married, and had an acrimonious split in 2018. Shortly after the marriage breakdown, Britain's Got Talent host Ant moved on with their former PA Anne-Marie Corbett, 46, who he would go on to wed in 2021.

Lisa, 47, and Ant, 48, had a bitter and very public divorce, which included the custody of their dog, Hurley. But six years later after the break up it seems calmness has prevailed.

Lisa surprisingly liked a post shared on Ant and his co-host pal Declan Donnelly's joint Instagram post which showed her ex lying on bed with his dogs to mark International Dog Day.

One of the dogs featured in the snap was their Labrador, Hurley. The snaps also showed Dec's sausage dog, Rocky, Ant’s two Malipoo's Milo and Bumble.

The caption read: "Dog dump (not that kind... get your mind out the gutter!) #internationalDogDay." Lisa shared her approval of the post by liking it.

Hurley remains a focal point of Lisa's life if the frequent appearances he makes on her Instagram are anything to go by. Alongside a recent snap celebrating Hurley’s 11th birthday, she wrote: "My Baby Boy is 11!!!… Happy Birthday Hurley you absolute beauty. #MamasBabyBoy."

Another video showed Hurley refusing to move during a walk, hilariously captioned by Lisa: "Just want to confirm Hurls is absolutely fine, I was trying to get him home but he wouldn’t go past the pub as it has treats on the bar. I'd been there three times and it was getting a little embarrassing!!!!… Thank-you though for all the well wishes."

During their £31 million divorce, Ant reportedly told his lawyers: "She can have anything she wants – except the dog," according to MailOnline.

Lisa, a makeup artist who works behind the scenes on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, posted a quote about marriage on social media: "Marry a man who wants to be a husband, not a man who just wants a wife. A man who wants to be a husband is a man who's willing to provide, protect and fulfil your dreams.

"He is ready to do whatever he can to make things work. A man who just wants a wife is a man who's only thinking about what you can do for him, and not what he can do for you."

Lisa faced a tough start to 2024 after splitting from her electrician boyfriend of three years. Meanwhile, Ant welcomed a baby boy with Anne Marie named Wilder on May 14.

He announced the birth of his son on Instagram with a sweet black and white snap of him holding Wilder close to his chest. He added the caption: "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." By sharing the photo, Ant inadvertently showcased his arm tattoo, which features names on a family tree.

The names visible were Amzie - referencing Anne Marie, his two stepdaughters Poppy and Daisy, as well as pups Milo and Bumble.