Britain’s Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway legend Ant McPartlin has opened up about the emotional reunion with his estranged father after a decade apart, crediting a TV show for their heartwarming reconciliation.
The beloved presenter, one half of the iconic Ant and Dec duo, had lost contact with his dad Ray for 10 years until a deep dive into his family roots for a television programme brought them back together.
During the filming of ‘Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey’, alongside his best mate Dec Donnelly, Ant took the brave step to reach out to his father. Reflecting on this experience in his autobiography he penned with Dec, ‘Once Upon A Tyne’, Ant shared his reflections on the sometimes difficult relationship with his father, revealing: “One of the biggest things the show did for me was that it gave me the chance to reconnect with my dad. In 2017, we hadn’t seen or spoken to each other for ten years and my relationship with him didn’t really exist.”
(Image: ITV)
He continued, explaining the impact of learning about his ancestors: “But once I started finding stuff out about the paternal side of my family, it felt like the right time to contact him. When a parent leaves and you have a distant, or sometimes non-existent relationship, it means that when you do see them, you can struggle to find common ground, but now I had a whole family history to tell him about, like my great-grandfather, the war hero.”, reports the Mirror.
The reunion saw Ant and his dad instantly “bonded” over their shared lineage. Ray, who is an avid history enthusiast, found a fresh and “immediate and brand-new connection” with his son through the historical revelations uncovered in the show Ant was part of.
Ant McPartlin opened up about the personal growth in his relationship with his father, saying: “Me and my dad’s relationship blossomed from there and it’s gone from strength to strength ever since. Without the show, that might never have happened.”
In particular, Ant was grateful that his father hadn’t attempted to get in touch with him before he was ready or to capitalise on his fame, as he told The Guardian in March 2019: “Massively (grateful), and I respect him a lot for it. He’s a proud man, a worker, a plumber. I’m thrilled that I’m back in touch.”
Dec, who lost his beloved father Alphonsus in 2011, also expressed his desire to delve deeper into his roots for his daughter Isla and his family.
He wrote: “My dad used to tell us stories and we’d ask questions, but, like any family, there was only so much you could ever find out, so DNA gave me the chance to fill in some of the gaps – and, of course, go further into our family history than ever before.”
Reflecting on the unique experience of creating their documentary, Dec shared: “It was incredible for me and Ant to make a show with such purpose – normally, the work we do (and love) is about talent-show winners, turkey testicles or giving away places on the plane, but this was such a rich and complex story, it was unlike anything else we’d ever done.”
View news Source: https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/ant-mcpartlin-didnt-speak-dad-32784259
