The best and worst celebrity tattoos as Ant McPartlin shares tree inking
A host of stars have unusual and meaningful markings
Ant McPartlin is the latest celeb to show off an elaborate tattoo, with the star revealing a family tree on his shoulder as he announced he’d become a dad.
The presenter and wife Anne-Marie welcomed son Wilder earlier this month and Ant shared his arrival with fans with a sweet picture on Instagram that showed him holding the newborn, with his bare arm on show. The snap revealed a tree tattoo emblazoned with the names of the star’s loved ones – Amzie, presumably a nickname for his wife, her daughters Daisy and Poppy and their dogs Milo and Bumble.
Fans were confused about why Ant’s Labrador Hurley – who he shares with ex Lisa Armstrong – was not on the tree, so the star went onto X to explain. He clarified that Hurley’s name was there, but that “he was just covered by our newborn”.
Ant certainly isn't the only celeb to unveil an inking that became a talking point, with a host of stars coming up with unusual and meaningful designs – and others experiencing tattoo fails. We have a look at a few of the most interesting celebrity etchings.
Ed Sheeran
In 2017, Ed Sheeran claimed that actor Saoirse Ronan pulled a prank that saw him end up with the words “Galway grill” tattooed onto his arm instead of “Galway Girl”.
Ronan was in the video for the star's song Galway Girl and Sheeran said he’d wanted to be inked with the title in Ronan’s handwriting. But he said she intentionally misspelled it, writing ‘Grill’ instead.
However, the actor later cleared things up on The Late Late Show with James Corden, saying it was “all planned”. She joked: “We thought it would be funny and edgy if we misspelled girl and made it grill instead – because we’re so clever!”
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande had a bee tattooed onto her neck in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing, in tribute to the 22 people who lost their lives. The singer had just finished performing at the venue in May 2017 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device.
A year later she shared a picture showing the image of the bee behind her ear, captioning the picture: “Forever.”
The worker bee is an emblem for Manchester, with many feeling that it marks the city’s industrial past and that it is a sign of working together.
Brooklyn Beckham
Brooklyn Beckham divided opinion when he unveiled tattoos dedicated to his wife Nicola Peltz. The budding chef, eldest child of David and Victoria Beckham, didn't hold back when it came to showing the world how smitten he was with Peltz and had a design of her eyes inked onto the back of his neck.
Underneath it was a love letter Peltz had penned, in which she told him: “I want you to know how deeply loved you are.”
Lots of people thought the markings were sweet after Beckham shared a snap of them on Instagram, but others were less impressed.
Piers Morgan, who at the time was still on Good Morning Britain, was among those who mocked it, saying on the ITV show that it was “creepy and cringe”.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone has a tattoo of a blackbird’s feet on her wrist and her mum has one to match, and there is a seriously interesting tale behind it. The actor once told the story on the David Letterman Show, explaining that she and her mum were getting matching markings to celebrate that her mum was free of cancer.
Both loved Beatles star Paul McCartney’s song Blackbird, so Stone decided to ask him if he would design tattoos for them.
“I wrote a letter to Paul McCartney asking him if he would draw two little bird feet, because he wrote the song,” she said. “And yesterday, he sent them to me! Custom tattoos designed by Paul McCartney!” she exclaimed.
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne has several tattoos and in 2016 unveiled one with a special meaning. The reality star posted a picture on Instagram with her head shaved to reveal the word “Solidarity” etched on the side.
She told fans she had it done after the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, in which 49 people were killed and dozens more injured.
“Individually, we have rights and unique gifts,” Osbourne wrote. “Together, we have strength and powerful harmony. I have wanted to get this tattoo for a long time.
"The tragedy in Orlando devastated me and reminded me that every moment of our lives is precious. Every human is precious. Love hard. Live gracefully, authentically and with conviction, respect, purpose and compassion. Together we achieve what is impossible to those who stand alone.”
Sylvester Stallone
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has been steadily adding to his tattoo collection, and once explained that it was partly to cover up battle scars he had accumulated over the years.
“I have all kinds of chest injuries; I tore my vein during Rocky II and had 60 stitches,” the actor told ContactMusic.
"It got worse and worse, and people were saying, 'Urgh, has he got varicose veins?’ So I thought, ‘F*** it’, and covered them with a tattoo of my wife.”
Josie Gibson
This Morning star Josie Gibson confessed that her tattoo went wrong when she went to have it done after a little too much to drink.
The TV star was on holiday in Thailand when she decided to have “Shh” etched onto her finger. However, she ended up leaving with a tattoo saying “Saa” instead.
She explained the slip-up when she was on I’m A Celebrity last year, telling her fellow campers: “I got the worst tattoo known to man. I went to Thailand and, out in Thailand, they drink the buckets don't they?
"I had a bucket and then the next day, I thought, 'Oh, is that a mosquito bite?' I didn't even look at my finger and then, in the afternoon, I looked down at my finger and I was like, 'What is that?'
"It says Saa because I spelt Shh wrong!”