I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here presenter Ant McPartlin reportedly rushed from the launch of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, which he presents with Declan Donnelly, to say his goodbyes to his beloved dog Hurley before he was put to sleep. The 12-year-old chocolate Labrador had been ill and was deemed too unwell to make a recovery. Ant shared his canine companion with ex-wife Lisa Armstrong followinga bitter custody battle over him following their split in 2018 after 23 years together, with 11 of those married. It is believed Lisa was also at the vets when Hurley passed.

Ant, 50, seemingly refused to surrender full custody of Hurley in the divorce and is said to have told lawyers: "She can have anything she wants - except the dog." The couple agreed to split their time with the pet evenly and to always make decisions in Hurley's best interests.

The Sun revealed the presenter is "distraught" by the death of his pooch. He had previously discussed Hurley with the publication.

"There's a loyalty and a love and a companionship with Hurley that you can't describe. And he never tells me off and is always pleased to see me," he said.

He also claimed Hurley was a star in his own right saying: "I came out of a shop the other day and there was a woman on the floor cuddling Hurley. She said to me, 'It's the dog from the papers!' Hurley's a celebrity."

Hurley had in fact enjoyed a brief showbiz career when he appeared on Steph's Packed Lunch with Lisa in a segment about drinks for dogs.

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Hurley was a huge part of Ant's life, and in his first public appearance after leaving rehab in April 2018, he was seen walking the dog.

He spent a month in a facility after appearing at Wimbledon Magistrates Court following a drink-driving charge, which saw him slapped with a 20-month driving ban and £86,000 fine.

On Saturday night, February 14, Lisa shared an Instagram story featuring a child releasing hearts into the sky.

Express.co.uk has contacted a representative for Ant for comment.