Declan Donnelly Biography

British television presenter (born 1975)

Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly OBE (born 25 September 1975) is a British television presenter, television producer, former singer, rapper, comedian and actor from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He is best known for working alongside Ant McPartlin as part of the presenting duo Ant & Dec.

Donnelly came to prominence, alongside McPartlin, in the children's drama series Byker Grove, with both men establishing successful careers as television presenters, in which they are most known for presenting SMTV Live (between 1998 and 2001), I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! alongside Ant McPartlin (2002-2017, 2019-) and Holly Willoughby (2018) and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002–2024), and Britain's Got Talent (since 2007).

Other notable highlights of Donnelly's career alongside McPartlin include presenting PokerFace, Push the Button, Pop Idol, and Red or Black?, being hosts of charity appeal Text Santa (between 2011 and 2014), and also performing as pop music duo PJ & Duncan.

Early life

Donnelly is the child of parents Alphonsus Donnelly and Anne Donnelly, who originally resided in Desertmartin, Northern Ireland before moving to England in the 1950s, settling in Newcastle upon Tyne. He is among seven children the couple raised within the council estate of Cruddas Park.

Donnelly's education took place first at St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, and later at the all-boys St Cuthbert's High School, with him receiving 8 GCSEs. Although he eventually moved towards a career in television, he originally considered becoming a Catholic priest but changed his mind upon seeing the students from the all-girls Sacred Heart Catholic High School.

Career

Main article: Ant & Dec

Donnelly's career in television began at the age of 12, when his father suggested that he audition for Byker Grove, a new children's television programme being created by CBBC in Newcastle upon Tyne that had been advertised in local newspapers. His success in this audition led to him securing the role of Duncan, whereupon he first met Anthony McPartlin. Although he was raised in an estate close to Donnelly, McPartlin had never met him until their involvement in the children's drama. The pair worked together on the show until their eventual departure in 1993, whereupon they began to bond as friends, both socially and professionally.

After a short tenure in music, Donnelly and McPartlin furthered their careers in television by becoming the presenting duo Ant & Dec. Having already fronted Children's TV show 'The Ant and Dec show' on BBC1, which ran for 2 series, followed by a stint on Channel 4 with the edgier 'Ant & Dec Unzipped', The pair continued to work in children's television, fronting ITV's saturday morning children's programme SMTV Live. After leaving the programme in 2001, the pair branched out to front other shows, including game shows – Friends Like These, PokerFace and Push the Button – talent shows – Pop Idol, and Britain's Got Talent – and entertainment programmes – I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. The pair continued to maintain acting careers, starring in a tribute to The Likely Lads in 2002, in the form of a remake of an episode from the show's sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, en*led "No Hiding Place", and in 2006 film Alien Autopsy.

In 2007, Donnelly and McPartlin signed a 2½ year, £30 million contract with ITV.

Ant & Dec have their own production company Mitre Television where they produce their shows.

Personal life

On 22 July 2006, Donnelly was the best man for McPartlin's wedding to Lisa Armstrong.

Donnelly would go on to act as McPartlin's best man a second time when he married his now wife, Anne-Marie Corbett on 7 August 2021. In an 'emotional' speech on the special day, he described McPartlin as the “best friend a man could have” before reading a prayer in front of the guests attending.

In August 2011, Donnelly attended his father's funeral, after Alphonsus died in hospital of cancer.

Donnelly dated actress Clare Buckfield for ten years between 1993 and 2003, and television presenter Georgie Thompson from January 2009 until April 2011. On 13 November 2014, Donnelly became engaged to the duo's manager Ali Astall, with whom he had been in a relationship for over a year, with the marriage taking place at St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Elswick, Tyne and Wear, on 1 August 2015. The ceremony was conducted by his brother, Father Dermott Donnelly, a Catholic priest, with McPartlin as his best man. On 1 September 2018, after announcing earlier in the year that the couple were expecting their first child, Donnelly's wife gave birth to a daughter Isla.

On 19 March 2018, after his colleague McPartlin's car crash, it was announced that Donnelly would be presenting the remaining episodes of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and the live semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent on his own.

In November 2019, it was revealed that Dec is a distant cousin of the American professional wrestling promoter and businesswoman Dixie Carter. He is also related to footballer Aaron Donnelly. His elder brother Dermott died after a short illness on 8 July 2022 at age 55.

Donnelly has stated that he is a practising Roman Catholic but does not publicly discuss religion or his family in depth.

On 23 July 2022, Donnelly and Astall welcomed their second child, a baby boy Jack. In a 'sweet' gesture, the couple gave their son middle names 'Anthony' and 'Alphonsus' in honour of Donnelly's best friend McPartlin and later father respectively.

Charity

Donnelly and McPartlin are patrons of the charity Sunshine Fund. When their single 'Let's Get Ready to Rhumble' reached No.1 in 2012, Ant & Dec donated the single's success to the charity ChildLine. They also support the Text Santa appeal.

Donnelly also supports the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle's Youth Ministry Team, directed by one of his older brothers, Dermott Donnelly, former dean of St Mary's Cathedral in Newcastle. They opened the W4 Youth Centre in 2013.

Honours and awards

Donnelly was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and entertainment.

The following listed below are the television awards that Donnelly has been nominated for or awarded with, primarily while working alongside Anthony McPartlin as Ant & Dec:

National Television Awards

Filmography

Television

Film

Television adverti*ts

Apps

• An official Saturday Night Takeaway app known as Studio Rush launched on 30 January 2013 but has been removed.
• An official I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! app launched on 9 November 2015.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Declan Donnelly.

• Declan Donnelly at IMDb
• Declan Donnelly at the British Film Ins*ute
• Cult of Ant&Dec HQ
• ITV biography
• Official Ant and Dec website