TV presenter Ant McPartlin and his estranged wife Lisa Armstrong have been granted a divorce at the Central Family Court in London.

It took Judge Alun Jenkins just 30 seconds to grant the show business couple a decree nisi - ending the eleven-year marriage.

Forty-two-year-old McPartlin confirmed the relationship had hit the rocks in January this year.

The final stage of the split will be a decree absolute, which is usually issued six weeks and one day after the decree nisi is granted.

The couple - who were married in 2006 - have no children.

They met in Newcastle in 1990, while taking part in a roadshow.

At the time they were both aspiring popstars: McPartlin was one half of PJ & Duncan, while Armstrong was in the band Deuce. She is currently a makeup artist on the hit show "Strictly Come Dancing."

In April 2018 McPartlin was fined £86,000 when he appeared in court for drink driving. He also had his motor vehicle licence taken away for 20 months after being caught driving with more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream.

In 2017 McPartlin went into rehab to try to combat a struggle with an addiction to painkillers as a result of a knee operation in 2015.

The presenter, who has been partnered on-screen with real-life best friend Declan Donnelly for nearly 25 years, announced he would reduce his TV commitments.

Together Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have hosted some of the UK's top-rated TV shows, including "SMTV Live," "CDUK," "Friends Like These," "Pop Idol," "Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Take Away," "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!," "Pokerface," "Push the Button," "Britain's Got Talent," "Red or Black and Text Santa."

Earlier this year, McPartlin confirmed that he would not present the next series of "I'm a Celebrity...

Get Me Out of Here!" and would be taking a break from TV screens until 2019.

In an official statement on August he announced: “My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off. “I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support, and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.”

Instead, Holly Willoughby will partner Donnelly on the hit ITV show.

Donnelly presented several episodes of "Saturday Night Takeaway" alone since McPartlin's drink-driving conviction in April.

Despite his absence from the screen, Ant and Dec have still made a list for the TV Presenter and the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Awards at the National Television Awards.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED