Declan Donnelly | |
---|---|
Born | Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly 25 September 1975 Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
Education | St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School St Cuthbert's High School |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1987–present |
Spouse | Ali Astall (m. 2015) |
Children | 2 |
Website | officialantanddec |
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–present), 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.
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. [2] He is among seven children the couple raised within the council estate of Cruddas Park. [3]
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. [4] 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. [5]
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. [6] 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 . [7] 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? , entitled "No Hiding Place", [8] and in 2006 film Alien Autopsy .
In 2007, Donnelly and McPartlin signed a 2½ year, £30 million contract with ITV. [9]
Ant & Dec have their own production company Mitre Television where they produce their shows. [10]
On 22 July 2006, Donnelly was the best man for McPartlin's wedding to Lisa Armstrong. [11]
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. [12]
In August 2011, Donnelly attended his father's funeral, after Alphonsus died in hospital of cancer. [3]
Donnelly dated actress Clare Buckfield for ten years between 1993 and 2003, and television presenter Georgie Thompson from January 2009 until April 2011. [13] [14] 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, [15] 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. [16] 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. [17]
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. [18] He is also related to footballer Aaron Donnelly. [19] His elder brother Dermott died after a short illness on 8 July 2022 at age 55. [20]
Donnelly has stated that he is a practising Roman Catholic but does not publicly discuss religion or his family in depth. [6] [5]
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. [21]
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. [5] [22] [23] They opened the W4 Youth Centre in 2013. [24]
Donnelly was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and entertainment. [25]
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:
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
2000
2001
2002
2005
2006 | 2007
2008
2009
2010
2012
2013
2014
2015
2017
2018
2019
|
Year | Award | Show |
---|---|---|
2001 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
2002 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | Pop Idol | |
Special Recognition Award | ||
2003 [32] | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | |
Most Popular Reality Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2004 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | |
2005 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
2006 [33] | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Quiz Programme | Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon | |
2007 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | |
Most Popular Reality Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2008 [34] | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
2010 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | |
2011 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2012 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Reality Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2013 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2014 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
Landmark Award | ||
2015 | Most Popular Entertainment Presenter | |
Most Popular Entertainment Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2016 | Most Popular Entertainment Programme | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! |
Most Popular TV Presenter | ||
2017 | Most Popular Entertainment Programme | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway |
Most Popular TV Presenter | ||
Challenge Show | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
2018 | The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway |
Challenge Show | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | |
Most Popular TV Presenter | ||
2019 | The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! |
Most Popular TV Presenter | ||
2020 | The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! |
Most Popular TV Presenter | ||
2021 | The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award | I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! |
Most Popular TV Presenter |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989–1993, 2000 | Byker Grove | Duncan | |
1994 | Gimme 5 | Guest co-presenter | |
1995–1997 | The Ant & Dec Show | Co-presenter | |
1995–1997 | The Big Breakfast | ||
1997 | Ant and Dec's Geordie Christmas [35] | ||
1998 | Ant & Dec Unzipped | ||
1998–2001 | SMTV Live | Alongside Cat Deeley and Ant McPartlin | |
1998–2001 | CD:UK | ||
1999–2001 | Friends Like These | Alongside Ant McPartlin | |
2001, 2015–2016 | BRIT Awards | ||
2001 | Slap Bang with Ant & Dec | ||
2001–2003 | Pop Idol | ||
2002–2004 | Engie Benjy | Engie Benjy (voice) | |
2002 | A Tribute to the Likely Lads | Himself | |
2002 | Prezzemolo | Prezzemolo (voice) | |
2002–2009, 2013–2018, 2020- | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Co-Presenter | |
2002– | I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! | Alongside Ant McPartlin (2002-2017, 2019-), Holly Willoughby (2018) | |
2005 | Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon | ||
2006 | A History of Tyneside | ||
2006, 2008 | Soccer Aid | ||
2006–2007 | PokerFace | ||
2007– | Britain's Got Talent | ||
2008 | Wanna Bet? | ||
2009 | Ant & Dec's Christmas Show | ||
2010–2011 | Ant & Dec's Push the Button | ||
2011–2012 | Red or Black? | ||
2011–2014 | Text Santa | ||
2016 | When Ant and Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years of The Prince's Trust | ||
The Queen's 90th Birthday Celebration | |||
2019 | Britain's Got Talent: The Champions | ||
Ant & Dec's DNA Journey | Himself | ||
2022- | Limitless Win | Co-Presenter | |
2023 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway: Behind the Scenes | ||
2023– | I'm a Celebrity... South Africa | Co–presenter | Alongside Anthony McPartlin (2023) |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2003 | Love, Actually | Himself |
2006 | Alien Autopsy | Ray Santilli |
2013 | One Chance | Himself (archive footage) |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2000 | Wispa Bite | Himself |
2001 | Ambrosia Splat | Himself, voice only |
Woolworths | Himself | |
2002 | McDonald's | Himself, voice only |
2008 | Sainsbury's | Himself |
2010–2011 | Nintendo Wii & DS | |
2013–2015 | Morrisons | |
2016–2018 | Suzuki | |
2019–2020 | Marks & Spencer | |
2019–present | Santander Bank |
Byker Grove is a British teen drama and coming of age television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 as part of CBBC on BBC One.
Anthony David McPartlin is an English television presenter, former singer, rapper and actor. He is best known for working alongside Dec Donnelly as part of the presenting duo Ant & Dec.
Ant & Dec are a British television presenting duo consisting of Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly from Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed after their meeting as child actors on CBBC's drama Byker Grove, they performed together as pop musicians PJ & Duncan, the names of their characters from the series. For their earliest TV presenting roles they used the aliases Tony & Lan.
The National Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.
The Cathedral Church of St Mary is a Catholic cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and seat of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. The cathedral, situated on Clayton Street, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and built between 1842 and 1844. The cathedral is a grade I listed building and a fine example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture championed by Pugin.
SMTV Live was a British Saturday morning children's television programme, produced by Blaze Television for ITV. Operating on a similar format to other Saturday morning programmes for children, such as BBC's Live & Kicking, the programme premiered on 29 August 1998 and ran for over 270 episodes across five years, before its conclusion on 27 December 2003.
Andi Eleazu Peters is a British television presenter, producer, journalist and voice actor, currently employed by ITV and known for presenting Children's BBC, roles on breakfast TV shows Live & Kicking, GMTV, Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, and for hosting Dancing on Ice: Extra and The Big Reunion.
St Cuthbert's Catholic High School is a boys-only Roman Catholic secondary school with academy status located on Gretna Road in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Stephen Daniel Mulhern is an English television presenter, magician and comedian. He began his career at CITV presenting the children’s television shows Finger Tips (2001–2004) and Tricky TV (2005–2010). Mulhern has presented various television shows for ITV, including Britain's Got More Talent (2007–2019), Animals Do the Funniest Things (2007–2011), This Morning's Hub (2011–2014), Catchphrase (2013–present), Big Star's Little Star (2013–2018), In for a Penny (2019–present), Rolling In It (2020–2021), Deal or No Deal (2023–present) and Dancing on Ice (2024–present).
Engie Benjy is a British stop motion animated pre-school children's television show, broadcast on ITV's children's strand, CITV. Engie Benjy is a blue-haired mechanic who fixes problems with the help of his friends and an assortment of living magic and vehicles. He owns a dog named Jollop and drives a breakdown van named Dan the Van. Other characters include Driver Dottie, Astronaut Al and Farmer Fred. The vehicles included in the show are Dan the Breakdown Van, Bus, Bike, Plane, Spaceship, Boat, Tractor and Big Rig the Truck.
Britain's Got Talent is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, it is produced by both Thames and Syco Entertainment, distributed by Fremantle, and broadcast on ITV every year in late Spring to early Summer. The show was originally intended for production in 2005, but filming was suspended in the wake of a dispute between ITV and the programme's originally planned host. Following the success of America's Got Talent that year, production resumed and the programme eventually premiered on 9 June 2007.
The 2007 British Academy Television Awards were held on Sunday 20 May at the London Palladium Theatre in London. They were broadcast live on BBC One in the UK. The nominations were announced on 11 April 2007.
The first series of British talent competition programme Britain's Got Talent was broadcast on ITV, from 9 to 17 June 2007; it was commissioned following the success of the first season of America's Got Talent, helping to revive production of the British edition after initial development was suspended in 2005. Simon Cowell, the programme's creator, formed the judging panel with both Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden, with Ant & Dec operating as the programme's hosts. Alongside the main programme, the first series was accompanied by a spin-off sister programme on ITV2, titled Britain's Got More Talent, hosted by Stephen Mulhern.
Lisa Marie Armstrong is a former member of pop band Deuce and was make-up expert for the ITV programme This Morning, until becoming make-up supervisor for the ITV quiz show Pick Me and its prime-time entertainment series Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway is a British television variety show, presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, and broadcast on ITV since its premiere on 8 June 2002, enduring a four-year hiatus between 2009 and 2013, while its presenters worked on other projects.
Scarlett Sigourney Leigh Moffatt is a British television personality, presenter, and former ballroom dancer from County Durham, best known for appearing in the Channel 4 programme Gogglebox. She won the sixteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016, and has since appeared in a number of programmes, including the I'm a Celebrity companion show Extra Camp as a co-presenter, and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! returned for its eighteenth series on 18 November 2018 on ITV, as confirmed by Ant & Dec at the end of the Coming Out show in December 2017.
Chris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway is an Australian television variety show, presented by Chris Brown and Julia Morris. It premiered on Network 10 on 24 February 2019 and aired on Sunday nights. It is based on the British television show, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, created and presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. The show features a mixture of live and pre-recorded entertainment, quiz segments and competitions. Chris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway was filmed at Fox Studios Australia.