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Furious Ant McPartlin 'e-mailed Piers Morgan to complain the Good Morning Britain presenter had 'belittled' his rehab battle by saying he had been 'walking the dog for a year' and 'sitting on his backside''

• A source told The Mirror that Ant sent a pointed email to his fellow ITV star
• Piers recently asked on Good Morning Britain why McPartlin was up for an award 
• Piers, who lost out on award to the Ant and Dec, said Ant was 'on his backside'
• Ant McPartlin has hit back at Piers Morgan in a strongly worded email after he accused the Good Morning Britain co-host of ­'belittling' his recovery from addiction issues. 
  A source told The Mirror that Ant sent the email to his fellow ITV star after he felt Morgan belittled his journey to recovery, as well as insulting people struggling with mental health issues. 
  Piers, 53, recently asked on Good Morning Britain why the Saturday Night Takeaway host was up for an award at the National Television Awards - when he had been walking the dog for a year' and 'sitting on his backside'. 
  

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  Piers, 53, recently asked on Good Morning Britain why Ant McPartlin was up for an award  
• Piers was referring to the aftermath of Ant's highly publicised fallout from a drink-driving conviction in April last year. 
  Ant, who co hosts with Declan Donnelly, checked into rehab after the incident, pulling out of the Britain's Got Talent live shows and I'm a Celeb in the process. 
  During his recovery from booze problems and prescription drug addiction, he was often pictured walking his Labrador, Hurley in the parks near his home.
  

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  A source told The Mirror that Ant sent the email to his fellow ITV star after he felt Morgan belittled his journey to recovery
  

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  Piers Morgan (middle) with Ant McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly at the NTA's in 2016  Ant is understood to have credited the Labrador with helping him through his well-documented struggles with alcohol and substance abuse issues, even receiving cards filled with the dog’s paw prints. 

  Despite this absence from television, he and Donnelly won the hosting award for the 18th year in a row.

  Piers, who lost out on the award to the pair, said: 'They'll win. Even though Ant's basically been sitting on his ­backside, from what I can see walking his dog for the last year. He's got an award.'

  

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  Anthony McPartlin walking his dog Hurley near his home in London in 2017 A source told The Mirror that Ant hit back, saying he 'didn't appreciate' Piers 'belittling him'. 

  The source said: 'Ant sent him an email saying he takes his recovery very seriously and he didn't appreciate Piers ­belittling it by saying all he has done is walk the dog.

  'Ant did work last year – he presented nearly the whole series of Takeaway and all the audition shows of BGT.

  'He then worked hard on his recovery. To suggest that all he did was walk the dog insults everyone who is in recovery or suffering from mental health issues.

  'Ant pointed this all out to Piers.'

  Piers also said before Ant and Dec scooped the gong, that if the pair won, he would 'take the day off every day and walk his dog' next year. 

  The controversial Good Morning Britain host had previously criticised Ant for branding new girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett his “rock” - instead opting to back Ant’s estranged wife Lisa Armstrong, 42.

  The pair split in January last year and Piers said Armstrong must be 'hurt' by Ant's new relationship.  

  

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  Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong Virgin at the TV British Academy Television Awards in 2017