To feel a bit sorry for Dec

[Bobbiepin]

I've not read a huge amount about the Ant Mcpartlin situation but it's clear things are going down the pooper pretty quick.

With all of this going on, does anyone else feel a bit sorry for Dec? His mate has royally fucked up and therefore he probably will find it difficult to find work. They've been a double act since the 80s so is anyone likely to hire Dec on his own?

It's like the Lost Prophets after it was found out that Watkins was a paedophile. I'm sure Dec's hardly strapped for cash but still.

I think with the money he earns a year if he's smart he can last until they figure it out. Can't imagine this is good for him though. Id be pissed at ant if it were me.

I feel like the press are twisting this a bit and using the child to maximise headlines. Drink driving is inexcusable, but I think until all the facts are clear, ant's privacy should be respected. No one was actually hurt as far as I understood it, and it was terribly icy on the road, so there are other contributing factors. That being said he is clearly having some kind of midlife crisis and came back to work to soon after going to rehab for his addictions. As soon as it was announced he was divorcing, I thought there was more to this than meets the eye. But yes I do feel for dec and I hope he can find a way to forgive his best friend for all that's gone on. Ant clearly needs dec more than ever.

He can’t complain, they have been luckier than most considering their mediocre presenting skills.

I am sure there will be a ghost written book deal in the wings somewhere, eventually Ant will probably publicly apologise and be as popular as ever ( look at Biebers comeback). These people have the best PR teams behind them who will already be working behind the scenes while Ant gets better.

Both live locally to me and usually we don’t pay a blind bit of difference to them - they’re like any other neighbour: you say hello, pet their dog, whatever. Now though, the paparazzi’s camped outside theor house(s), they cannot move for press coverage of Ant’s private, presumably hellish mess. Whatever the situation, I feel incredibly sorry for them and their families. We don’t need to follow the seeming decline of Ant as if he’s public property, and the paparazzi camp out definitely leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. Bloody vultures!

I don't think they're finished at all (unless they want to be).

worth 600 million? off the back of a cheeky chappie routine? Do i feel sorry for him er no.

60, not 600,

Good ol' MN police, putting the world to rights. I agree with the 1% of people on here who are showing some sympathy.

It is entirely possible, dear MN, that Dec is not worried about 'his career' but actually worried about his friend, who is suffering. I don't suppose he has even thought so far ahead as a 'solo career'. It's what friends do, hang in there, support, care, worry.

Honestly, you should step back and listen to yourselves.

oops yes 60. Still quite a lot.

And.. just maybe, and I realise this is controversial, he might not want to work without his friend of decades. Wow!

Gosh - I'm really ranting now! To compare this to paedophiles is just astounding. You said you didn't know about the Ant situation, so perhaps you should find out a bit about it before posting. If you said this about any woman who had been trying for a baby for years and this led to the split from her partner you would be get a right roasting!

Amazing how sympathy depends on how much money you apparently have rather than who you are and what you’ve been through as a human being. I’m hoping all those holier-than-thou posters remember that when they’re going through a hard time and should in fact stop and think about those in the 3rd world who have so much less money than they do when expecting/wanting some sympathy or understanding.

This has nothing to do with money and everything to do with the fact that when you become a celebrity you essentially become public property and your whole identity revolves around what you do rather than who you are. Take away who you are and what do you have left?

One of the reasons why so many celebrities have addiction issues is down to the lifestyles they are expected to lead and the expectations placed on them by the public who think they own them.

I don’t feel sorry for anyone who is caught drink driving. As far as I’m concerned if you drink you should never be allowed to drive again, ever.

But I do feel sorry for Dec whose whole identity now revolves around his being a part of a double act and who now needs to rebuild his own identity as an individual whether that is within the entertainment industry or not.

@trendy1 you seem to have got the wrong end of the stick here. My post is about Dec, not Ant and although I'm hugely sympathetic for the couple's struggle with infertility there just is no excuse for drink driving. You choose to drink therefore you do not get behind the wheel of the car.

As for the Watkins comparison, @barrythekestral actually summed up my thoughts is a much more comprehensive way. I'm in no way saying the crimes are comparable or have equal impact but more about the effects that a criminal partner has on the people who work with them. The other band members of Lost Prophets couldn't continue with the band, even without Watkins as their reputation was ruined. I can't even imagine how they must have felt finding that out.

The whole situation sucks for Dec, regardless of the money involved. Lots of people are posting saying they don't like him, which is a hazard of being in the public eye, you just aren't going to be loved by everyone but that doesn't mean he deserves to have his career potentially ruined through no fault of his own. Think back to the days of early morning weekend tv. He's had to sacrifice time with his family etc. It's hard work doing those hours, it's not like he's farted around for 30 years and got paid a fortune for it.

But I do feel sorry for Dec whose whole identity now revolves around his being a part of a double act and who now needs to rebuild his own identity

It was his choice to form the double act though wasn’t it? Many people get divorced after many years together who have to do the same. They just get on with it! Case in point - I didn’t see loads of these threads when Lisa and Ant separated (many about the particulars behind her solicitors demands for money though).

Of course I think Dec will not be thinking about much other than his friend and poor Ant will be going through it too. However i do feel that when you are being paid millions in this way, part of the understanding is that your life is played out for everyone to see. They could have walked away from this lifestyle at any time but clearly love it and choose not to. They have been rewarded very well for it too. Do I find it unfortunate? Yes! Do I feel sorry for Dec? Not in the slightest! He is still in a more favourable position than most.

Obvs there is no excuse for drink driving, that is not in question. Your question revolves around the fact that you feel sorry for Dec, assuming that his life is pretty well over. I am pointing out that he is probably, quite rightly, more worried about Ant than his career.

Its possible to be concerned about both! These two were child actors together and I bet anyone, given the work they were offered, would have stuck together. Show biz partnerships are not the only successful partnerships in the world. They kept winning awards so perhaps producers wanted to use them as a double act? Why would they turn the work down and go it alone? Morcambe and Wise, Laurel and Hardy and plenty of others stuck together.

I think money isn’t everything. It cushions a person, of course, but Dec is used to an annual schedule of work. No-one would find the uncertainty appealing and not everyone wants to kick back in their early 40s. I think he may well have to make adjustments to his life and it won’t be easy. I don’t think he will be short of offers, but it won’t be the same. For a good while, anyway.

Ant Mcpartlin get's no sympathy from me, yes he is worth £60m which mean's he can afford a driver, he chose to drink drive, his £86,000 fine is nothing to him, i bet if that was Joe Bloggs off the street he would have got a fine plus community service or a prison sentence. Money alway's talks.