Ant gives emotional acceptance speech at the National Television Awards after 'a tough year'

Credit: PA

Ant delivered an emotional acceptance speech as he and co-presenter Dec won best presenters at the National Television Awards for the 17th consecutive time.

In his first public appearance since announcing he was splitting from his wife, Ant McPartlin said it had been a "tough year".

McPartlin thanked "best mate" Dec Donnelly for helping him through a difficult year, during which he received treatment for depression, and alcohol and substance abuse.

The duo also won the inaugural Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award in memory of the late all-rounder who died in 2017.

McPartlin said winning this "really means a lot" and thanked "best mate" Dec Donnelly for helping him through a difficult year.

"It's been a tough year for me personally, quite an emotional night so to kind of top it off with three awards has been ... can I have a lie down now? I'm feeling very good thank you," said McPartlin.

He added: "I love working with him [Dec] and that was the one thing ... I had a very tough summer last summer, I had to face up to a lot of things and my one thing was just getting back to work and getting back to work with my best mate, we done it."

The pair also scooped best challenge show for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

Another win went to the pair for their other show Saturday Night Takeaway which was handed the first ever Bruce Forsyth Entertainment prize.

McPartlin said it felt "very, very apt" to pick up the award on Tuesday evening as the duo had just begun filming a tribute to Sir Bruce.

Donnelly said they were "thrilled and proud and honoured" to collect the award on the same stage where they had performed alongside Sir Bruce at the opening of a previous NTAs.