Ant McPartlin’s mother ‘didn’t know he was drunk’ before drunk-drive crash

Ant McPartlin's mother was unaware that the television host was drunk as he sat behind the wheel prior to his drunk-driving crash last month.

The 42-year-old yesterday plead guilty to being twice over the legal limit at Wimbledon Magistrates' court, after his March 21 crash which resulted in a four-year-old girl being hospitalised. It has been claimed that both McPartlin's mother and sober coach Christine Woodhall - the passengers in the car at the time of the accident - did not know that he was over the limit. The TV presenter has faced intense fallout since the accident which has seen him re-enter rehab and step down from his presenting duties for the foreseeable future. During proceedings yesterday, District Judge Barbara Barnes told him: "At the time when it happened you were struggling with various personal problems and also alcohol issues for some months. This incident happened, sadly, when it seems you suffered a brief relapse. I think it will have quite an impact on you to know you're no longer a man of good character." He was also handed a £86,000 fine and has been banned from driving for 20 months.