Lorraine Kelly: Cheeky chappy Ant will get by with a little help from his friends

I was really sorry to hear that Ant McPartlin has been going through such a tough time.

It emerged last Sunday that the British’s Got Talent presenter had checked himself into rehab after admitting to alcohol and substance abuse.

As one half of Britain’s top TV presenting duo, it was brave of Ant to confess he had a problem. But it has been heartening to see how much support and understanding he has since received.

Ant had been in crippling pain for ages after suffering a bad knee injury.

He was given Tramadol to help with the gnawing agony and grew too reliant on the prescription drug.

I had my own experience with Tramadol after a serious accident five years ago. I needed an emergency operation after being thrown off and then trampled by a horse.

It is a very seductive pain killer and takes away any horrible soreness or bad aches. It leaves you feeling that your head is full of cotton wool and all is well with the world.

After a week in hospital I was given a course of pills to take when I got home.

I probably came off them before I should have because they were making me so spaced out. I decided just to suffer the pain rather than feel so odd and disconnected.

It would have been easy to just to sink into a Tramadol-induced haze, and although I don’t think it’s ever a good idea not to finish a course of prescribed treatment, I didn’t want to feel woozy and out of touch any more.

Ant suffered from depression, mainly due to his knee injury which left him in agony during his time working on shows like I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and stopped him from playing his beloved golf. Having to give up a sport might not seem like too big a sacrifice, but for someone in such a demanding job, getting exercise on the golf course would be great for his physical and mental health.

It would have been a real stress-buster for Ant- his chance to unwind. Being forced to sit on the sidelines would have added to his feelings of depression.

Luckily Ant has his best pal Dec, his wife Lisa and lots of people who love him to help him through this dark time – and the public have inundated him with words of encouragement and support.

We were shocked that someone who was apparently so grounded, happy and cheerful could could secretly be battling demons.

It only goes to show that we should judge a book by its cover. You never know what other people are going through.

Sometimes, people who seemingly have everything they could ever want, leading charmed lives, are actually going through hell.

They are just good at hiding their feelings, not showing their wounds.

I’m sure Ant will get better and will soon be back with Dec entertaining the nation.

By opening up about his problems, he has done everyone suffering through mental illness a real service.

If it can happen to Ant it can happen to anyone. Hopefully, his honesty will help change attitudes and promote a greater understanding of the problems facing people suffering from mental health issues.

I wish him a very speedy recovery. But he has to take his time and make sure he is properly healed before jumping back on the showbiz merry-go-round.