Once upon a time, they appeared inseparable.
Smiling warmly at a christening, children perched on their laps, surrounded by familiar faces, Lisa Armstrong and Anne-Marie Corbett looked every inch the picture of close friends. Few could have imagined that the bond on display that day would later unravel into a bitter feud that reshaped lives and loyalties.
Back in 2009, photographs captured Lisa — then the wife of Ant McPartlin — cradling a baby, while Anne-Marie, Ant’s personal assistant at the time, sat nearby with another child. The pair moved in the same social circles, alongside friends including Declan Donnelly’s partner Ali Astall. To outsiders, they were “firm friends”.
But behind the smiles, cracks were already forming.
Sources say tensions surfaced in 2012, when Anne-Marie was promoted to the role of “house manager” for Ant and Dec — a move reportedly suggested by Holly Willoughby. From that point on, the dynamic between the two women began to shift.
According to insiders, Anne-Marie felt she was no longer being treated as a professional but increasingly as domestic help. What began as administrative duties and errands slowly evolved into more personal tasks — from picking up takeaway food to handling household problems.
“She felt humiliated,” one source claimed. “She believed Lisa went too far. Ant was always kind to her, but Anne-Marie felt Lisa turned against her. The idea that she later ‘broke the girl code’ doesn’t tell the full story.”
By 2018, when Ant’s romantic relationship with Anne-Marie became public, emotions exploded. Lisa reacted with fury, accusing Anne-Marie of betraying their friendship. On social media, she referred to her as “OUR PA who I let into OUR home,” before echoing a fan’s post suggesting Anne-Marie had crossed an unforgivable line.
Those close to Ant, however, insist the marriage had been unravelling long before romance entered the picture.
“Ant wanted a quiet family life — children, stability, a home,” an insider said. “Lisa preferred a more social, party-focused lifestyle with her Strictly friends. The cracks in their marriage were deep and visible to everyone, including Anne-Marie.”
The final rupture between the two women came after Ant’s stint in rehab. As he moved into a £1.6 million rental property nearby, Anne-Marie continued working for him while still encountering Lisa. Any remaining goodwill evaporated when Lisa eventually asked Anne-Marie to leave her role.
“Things deteriorated rapidly after rehab,” the source added. “Anne-Marie felt Lisa was directing her anger and pain at her. That’s why she was stunned when Lisa later spoke publicly about how close they once were.”
Despite the fallout, Ant and Anne-Marie grew closer. She stood firmly by his side following his drink-driving arrest in 2018, when he was fined £86,000 and banned from driving. Friends say she became his “rock” during one of the darkest chapters of his life.
Today, that christening photograph — Lisa proudly displaying her diamond wedding ring — has taken on new meaning. What once symbolised friendship and happiness now stands as a haunting reminder of everything that came before the heartache: a friendship turned rivalry, a marriage broken beyond repair, and a story that continues to captivate fans years on.
