Holly Willoughby had 'legitimate reasons' for not attending Ant McPartlin's wedding

10 August 2021, 16:20

Holly Willoughby was not in attendance at Ant McPartlin's wedding to Anne-Marie Corbett over the weekend
Holly Willoughby was not in attendance at Ant McPartlin's wedding to Anne-Marie Corbett over the weekend. Picture: Getty
Alice Dear

By Alice Dear

Holly Willoughby was missing from Ant McPartlin's star-studded wedding over the weekend, even though the pair are close friends.

Anthony McPartlin leaves church after marrying Anne-Marie Corbett

Ant McPartlin married Anne-Marie Corbett over the weekend in Hampshire, with many celebrities such as Phillip Schofield, Dermot O'Leary and Alesha Dixon in attendance.

However, one face missing from the crowd was This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby, who missed the wedding entirely.

Holly and Ant are close friends, which lead to much speculation over the reasons the TV presenter did not attend the special day.

While she wasn't there for the wedding, the star – who filled in for Ant one year on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here – did congratulate the pair on their nuptials.

Holly Willoughby is close friends with both Ant and Dec
Holly Willoughby is close friends with both Ant and Dec. Picture: Getty

Commenting on a picture of the new husband and wife posted on the Ant and Dec Instagram page, Holly commented: "Congratulations", followed by four red heart emojis.

While not much is known about the reason Holly was not at the wedding, she reportedly had "legitimate reasons" for missing the day.

Ant McPartlin married Anne-Marie Corbett over the weekend in a quaint church in Hampshire
Ant McPartlin married Anne-Marie Corbett over the weekend in a quaint church in Hampshire. Picture: Getty
Holly Willoughby's This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield attending the wedding
Holly Willoughby's This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield attending the wedding. Picture: Getty

This is according to Metro.co.uk, who were told from a source that she "would never have missed it due to anything business-related".

They told the publication: "Holly would not have missed Ant’s wedding if she really couldn’t help it.

"She wouldn’t miss a friend’s wedding because of anything business related. That’s just not the case. Anyone who knows her knows how important her friendships are to her.

"There is another reason she couldn’t be there and she has explained this to the people who matter the most in this – Ant and Anne-Marie."

A source said that Holly had 'legitimate reasons' for missing Ant's wedding
A source said that Holly had 'legitimate reasons' for missing Ant's wedding. Picture: Getty
Holly Willoughby did send congratulations to Ant and Anne-Marie on Instagram following the wedding
Holly Willoughby did send congratulations to Ant and Anne-Marie on Instagram following the wedding. Picture: Getty

Whatever the reasons, it sounds like Holly missed out on quite a wedding with a very special treat for the guests as Ant and Anne-Marie reportedly splashed out £100,000 on a luxury hotel and spa day for all attendees.

According to The Sun, Ant and Anne-Marie's 100 guests were put up in Heckfield Place, where the wedding reception was held, and on Sunday enjoyed a spa day complete with full body massages, manicures and pedicures, as well as reiki sessions, which involve therapists 'channelling' energy into their clients

The couple are said to have spent £180 on each massage, £100 on the manis and pedis and £125 on the spiritual healing treatment.

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