Inside Ant McPartlin’s touching bond with beloved dog Hurley who helped him through addiction battles and bitter divorce
For Ant McPartlin, beloved dog Hurley was never just a pet.
The chocolate Labrador became his rock through addiction battles, rehab and a painfully public divorce.
Earlier this week, Ant and ex-wife Lisa Armstrong faced the heart-breaking decision to say goodbye.
After vets told them their 12-year-old dog was too poorly to recover, they made the agonising call to put him to sleep.
Ant, 50, and Strictly Come Dancing make-up boss Lisa, 49, were both able to see him beforehand, with the TV star staying by Hurley’s side in his final moments.
KING OF THEIR HEARTS
The couple adopted Hurley in 2013 after struggling to have children and had doted on him ever since.
When their marriage broke down in 2018, custody of the dog became one of the most emotional flash points of their split.
During their £30million break-up, Ant was said to have told Lisa she could take “anything but Hurley”.
At the time, the TV star said: “Hurley’s welfare comes first and we both love him very much. That’s the way it is really.”
They eventually agreed to share care of the pup, with Hurley dividing his time between their homes.
Hurley also enjoyed regular trips to the groomers and spent a holiday with Ant and his family last summer.
The Labrador even became a celebrity in his own right.
Speaking in 2019, Ant said: “I came out of a shop the other day and there was a woman on the floor cuddling Hurley.
“She said to me, ‘It’s the dog from the papers!’ Hurley’s a celebrity.”
Ant even named one of his companies Hurley Promotions Ltd – a nod to his ‘surrogate son’.
SUPPORT HOUND
Friends have long said Hurley was a lifeline during Ant’s darkest days of drink and drug addiction, visiting him in rehab and helping him rebuild routine once he returned home.
Speaking about their bond, Ant said: “There’s a loyalty and a love and a companionship with Hurley that you can’t describe. He never tells me off and is always pleased to see me.”
Even after finding happiness again with wife Anne-Marie Corbett, Hurley remained firmly part of the family.
In May 2024, when Ant and Anne-Marie welcomed their son Wilder, fans noticed his new “family tree” tattoo and questioned why Hurley wasn’t included.
Ant quickly reassured them on X, writing: “For all you dog lovers who asked why my beloved Hurley wasn’t on the family tree… he was!! He was just covered by our newborn.”
The photo had simply obscured Hurley’s name beneath the baby’s proof that the Labrador would always be family.