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‘He was at home breastfeeding’: Dec tells King why Ant skipped Palace event-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro
He is busy being a new dad.
![‘He was at home breastfeeding’: Dec tells King why Ant skipped Palace event-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/01HYGE12HP94J03EXXD5NNABNQ-ba80.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024)
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Declan Donnelly told King Charles the real reason Ant McPartlin was forced to skip a Buckingham Palace reception.
The Saturday Night Takeaway star, 48, apologised to the monarch for his friend’s absence today, explaining that he was busy ‘breastfeeding.’
Ant, also 48, welcomed his first child, a son called Wilder Patrick McPartlin, with his wife Anne-Marie Corbett, 46, earlier this month.
At the event, which celebrated a group of young people who have turned their lives around with support from The Prince’s Trust, Dec told the King, 75, Ant could not attend because of newborn baby duties.
The Byker Grover star said after meeting the King: ‘I passed on Ant’s apology that he couldn’t be here today because he was at home breastfeeding.’
He added with a laugh: ‘I don’t know whether I broke royal protocol by giving that information.’
Dec explained Ant’s absence to the King during the Buckingham Palace event (Picture: Chris Jackson/PA Wire)
Ant recently welcomed his first child with wife Anne-Marie (Picture: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
After Wilder’s birth was announced, it was claimed that Ant had asked Dec to be the tot’s godfather.
Addressing the rumour at the Palace, Dec said he had not been formally asked, adding: ‘Everybody else has presumed, I won’t presume.’
After keeping much of their pregnancy private, Ant and Anne-Marie announced Wilder’s arrival in a touching black-and-white photo that gave fans a glimpse of the baby.
The sweet picture saw Ant cuddling his bundle of joy and revealing a family tree tattoo, with the names of his two stepdaughters on either side and their dogs, Milo and Bumble.
Dec was asked if he was going to be Wilder’s godfather (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
He wrote: ‘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!’
Fans and friends alike rushed to share their congratulations with the new family of five, with @jenny_22_x writing: ‘UR A DAD NOW ANT YAYAYAYAY OMG CONGRATS IM SO HAPPY FOR U.’
Former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby wrote: ‘Congratulations… welcome to the world Wilder… such beautiful news,’ alongside a red heart, while past I’m A Celebrity stars including Joel Dommett, Vicky Pattison and Fred Sirieix also congratulated Ant.
Anne-Marie and Ant married 3 years ago in a beautiful ceremony (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Cat Deeley, who rose to fame as a presenter on SM:TV Live alongside Ant and Dec, said: ‘Amazing! What wonderful news … Congratulations.’
Wilder’s arrival weeks after Ant and Dec ended their final series of Saturday Night Takeaway before going on hiatus, with Ant previously sharing that the break was in line with his new fatherhood duties.
Ant and Anne-Marie began dating in 2018, the same year he first split with ex-partner Lisa Armstrongafter years together.
The couple met when Anne-Marie worked as a personal assistant for Ant and his ex-wife and reportedly planned their 10-year anniversary party in 2016.
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