TV PRESENTER Ant McPartlin has been fined £86,000 and banned from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving.
McPartlin was involved in a three car collision in Richmond, London on 18 March. He was found to be more than twice over the drink driving limit at the time of the accident.
Speaking to the media outside of the Wimbledon Magistrates Court this afternoon, the Saturday Night Takeaway host said he was "truly sorry" for causing the crash.
He said: "High standards are expected of me, I expect them of myself. I've let myself down, I let a lot of people down. And for that I am truly sorry."
"I'd like to apologise to everybody involved in the crash and I'm just thankful no one was seriously hurt."
Inside the courtroom, he spoke only to confirm his name, age, address and nationality before pleading guilty to a single charge of drink-driving.
The star stepped back from his on screen commitments to return to rehab last month, having sought treatment last year for an addiction to prescription pain killers.
District Judge Barbara Barnes described McPartlin as a "well-known and successful entertainer", taking his weekly income of about £130,000 into consideration when calculating the fine.
Sentencing him, she said: "At the time when it happened you were struggling with various personal problems and also alcohol issues for some months.
"This incident happened, sadly, when it seems you suffered a brief relapse."
She described McPartlin's previous "exemplary character", adding: "I think it will have quite an impact on you to know you're no longer a man of good character."
She added: "Because of the seriousness of this offence, the financial pain must be imposed on you as on any other offender."
McPartlin is now expected to undergo further rehabilitation, while his co-host Declan Donnelly will carry on their joint television commitments.
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