Ant McPartlin's reported girlfriend accused of 'violating girl code': Are there still unspoken rules women need to follow?

Does girl code still exist? [Photo: Getty]
Does girl code still exist? [Photo: Getty]

Type girl code into Urban Dictionary and it will throw up a whole host of different definitions. The majority of them seem to refer to a set of unwritten rules that the female of the species must adhere to, in respect of their fellow woman.

The ‘rules’ can include everything from telling a woman if she’s got something in her teeth, to refusing to bitch about someone behind their back and the mightily simple affirmation ‘chicks before dicks.’

But if recent news stories are to be believed it seems the mere existence of girl code has been called into question of late.

Over the weekend it was alleged that TV presenter, Ant McPartlin may have found new love with his former PA.

This should be lovely news, except for the fact that his ex wife, Lisa Armstrong has called out the romance for breaching one of the main girl code commandments – thou shalt not date your friend’s ex.

According to the make-up artist, Anne-Marie Corbett, acted as an assistant to the former couple and was also someone Lisa considered a friend. Oh.

Taking to Twitter to express her heartbreak about the new relationship, Lisa also accused her ex’s new love of breaking girl code.

TV personality Nicola McLean reached out to Lisa on Twitter, writing: “Sending my love Lisa!! Really feel for you worst pain ever [sic].”

And Lisa, 42, replied back to Nicola writing: “Thanks babe and to think she was MY friend [sic]!”

Another of Lisa’s followers also sent her a message of support, in a now deleted tweet: “So much for the girl code. Keep that gorgeous dignified chin held high. Wishing you nothing but happiness in the future [sic].”

Retweeting the message from her follower, theStrictly Come Dancing’ make-up artist commented: “Exactly!! x [sic].”

Does girl code still exist? [Photo: Getty]
Does girl code still exist? [Photo: Getty]

Though it has not yet been confirmed that Ant is indeed in a relationship with the mother-of-two, it hasn’t stopped social media lamenting the lack of girl code respect for his ex.

“Think if I was mates with my new fellas ex I’d have a thing called loyalty. It’s girl code. It’s called respected. Let’s say if Lisa got with ants mate, everyone would be mouthing too [sic],” one user wrote.

“WHAT A PAIR OF SNAKES,” added another. “You deserve better & you will find better. You’ll look back & wonder why you ever bothered. Much love to you [sic].”

“What a cow!!!! With friends like that, who needs enemies!!” another user commented.

But not everyone believes the girl code has in fact been breached with many pointing out that both Lisa and Ant have the right to move on.

“She dumped him so well Done ant nows she moaning he has a new girl sore grapes to me now she realises what’s she’s missing any needed support and got it from a very nice girl good luck to both of u [sic],” one user tweeted.

“The marriage was over, filed for divorce. Both parties allowed to move on! Good luck to them both!” another tweeted.

“At the end of the day Ant Mcpartlin & Lisa Armstrong were separated, no kids so why do either of them have to tell the other if they move on,” another user commented.

The existence of the girl code has also been called into question on ‘Love Island’ recently.

Towards the end of last week, newish contestant, Megan Barton Hanson, was accused of breaking the girl code by bitching about fellow Islander, Georgia Steel behind her back.

Labelling the student, ‘fake’, Megan went on to question her motives for being on the villa explaining that she felt it was becoming ‘The Georgia Show’.

Megan questions the student’s motives for being in the villa and says she feels like it’s becoming ‘The Georgia Show’.

“I don’t know if it’s me because I’ve not been around that kind of person but to me it just seems very full on,” Meghan said. “All my friends at home just seem really real. I don’t know whether everything is dramatised.”

After calling Georgia fake, Megan asks: “Is she genuinely here to find love or is she here to be the centre of attention?”

Less serious, but deemed equally as unacceptable, was the time when Katy Perry questioned the existence of girl code after being allowed to walk the red carpet with quinoa in her teeth.

Uploading a close-up of her teeth as she arrived at the iHeartRadio Music Awards to Instagram, the singer called out her fellow females for not informing her about the beauty faux-pas.

“Currently taking applications for real friends who aren’t afraid to tell me there’s quinoa in my teeth,” she captioned the shot.

But though current events might have us believing that the girl code is in danger of extinction, you can rely on Emma Watson to restore our faith in female solidarity.

Last year, the 27-year-old ‘Beauty And The Beast’ actress stopped an interview to wipe pen off her female interviewer’s chin.

“I’m so sorry, can I stop you? I’m so sorry,” she told the reporter.

“I would—you would do this for me, and I would do this for you. You’ve got pen on your chin. I’m going to be so sad when you see this and I just—I just have to do this for you. I’m so sorry! I just—I know what it’s like to have something on your face.”

She went on to ask her make-up artist to touch up her interviewers chin.

If that isn’t proof that girl code is still very much alive and well, we don’t know what is!

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