The troubled star seemed in high spirits when approached by a member of the public on a sunny afternoon in Wimbledon.
He appeared to be on the phone, but graciously accepted her request and stopped for a photo.
Ant, 42, flashed a toothy smile and leaned in close to the pretty blonde.
The snap was posted on Instagram and shared by Ant and Dec Twitter account @allantanddec
People were delighted to see the star stepping out and rushed to comment beneath the pic, with one writing: "Great to see Ant out and about. Love him. He still has time for his fans after all he's been through.
"That says a lot about him he is a legend"
And another person added: “God, I hope he’s OK" as a third online admirer said: "Aww. So lovely to see him. He looks great."
The rare sighting comes after ITV bosses said he'll return to the channel in some capacity soon.
ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall said: "We wish Ant well. Clearly he won't come back a moment too soon.
"So I mean, he will come back when he's well and when he is ready to come back, and ITV will not be putting him under any pressure to come back unless he's well and fit enough to come back."
An ITV journalist then asked if he'll return to the channel specifically and she said: "As far as I know, that is true."
Elsewhere, his estranged wife Lisa Armstrong returned from her month-long break in Los Angeles.
She is reportedly ready to move on from Ant following their split and the news he is dating their former PA.
The former couple announced they had called time on their 11 year marriage in January.
Lisa, 41, is back in the UK and has returned to work, with pals claiming she is keen to make a fresh start.
A source told The Sunday People: "She has told friends that she is ready to move on with her life now.
"Being in America did her the world of good and she is back to her best."
Got a story? email [email protected] or call us direct on 02077824220.
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Source: Read Full Article