ANT McPartlin's ex has opened up on her "two years of hell" trying to keep her estranged husband away from booze, it is reported.
Lisa Armstrong spoke of how she stood by the Saturday Night Takeaway star as he battled his demons, pals told The Mail On Sunday.
The anonymous friend revealed: "Lisa has told me she's been through hell for the last two years.
"She wasn't sure if her marriage would survive, but she stood by him to try to save him.
"It has been so hard for her. Ant has been in such a bad way that she often feared the situation was untenable."
Her friends say Lisa, 42, begged him to get professional help.
They added: "It is a very difficult time for Lisa, but this has been going on for a while. She could see two years ago that Ant was down and things were beginning to get difficult for him.
"She loved him deeply and wanted to get him better – but she was open with her friends that she didn't see how the marriage could survive."
The estranged wife has also hinted she's "lonely" and "in pain" as she 'liked' fans' supportive posts on Twitter.
Lisa acknowledged one fan's message which read: "I wish I could take all this pain away."
Earlier today, Ant admitted to his mum that he "really messed up", moments after his drink-driving crash last Sunday.
The star, 42, who has gone back into rehab following the three car smash, was said to be devastated by the accident in which a three-year-old girl was injured.
An insider told the paper: “Ant spoke to his mum soon after. He was in a complete state. It was a very emotional conversation.”
His family is sticking by him after he was charged at Kingston Police Station just days ago.
Caroline McPartlin, who is married to Ant's cousin Lawrence, told the Sunday People: "Ant will come back from this.
“He has a lot of support around him and a lot of people behind him. I think he will get better.
“You go through tough times and everyone’s behind him.”
She added that she thought Ant's split from wife, Lisa, 41, was fuelling his problems.
The Sun Online has contacted a representative for Ant for comment.
Lisa and Ant announced their decision to divorce back in January after a tough year which saw Ant go into rehab for addiction to painkillers.
And despite their split, Lisa still hasn't removed the photo of the couple and their dog from her Twitter profile.
The couple's beloved pooch Hurley is at the centre of their divorce battle, with Lisa saying in January she "wouldn't budge" over ownership of the mutt.
Ant faces paying his ex-wife a record £31million in their divorce settlement, with pals claiming the strain of the split was behind his drink-driving arrest.
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The decision to divorce was a deeply painful one for the couple, who have been a fixture on the entertainment scene for more than two decades.
Ant had a summons delivered at his home to appear in court next month after attending a police station to be questioned further by cops over the crash.
Declan Donnelly will now host Saturday Night Takeaway alone for the final two shows.
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