Who is Declan Donnelly? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In September

Also Known As: Declan Joseph Oliver Dec Donnelly

Age: 49 Years, 49 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Ali Astall

father: Alphonsus Donnelly

mother: Anne Donnelly

siblings: Camelia Donnelly, Dermott Donnelly, Eamonn Donnelly, Martin Donnelly, Moira Donnelly, Patricia Donnelly

Actors British Men

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Males

City: Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

More Facts

education: St Cuthbert's High School

Recommended For You

1

Is Declan Donnelly left-handed or right-handed?

Declan Donnelly is right-handed.
2

What is Declan Donnelly's favorite football team?

Declan Donnelly supports Newcastle United.
3

Has Declan Donnelly ever appeared in a movie?

Yes, Declan Donnelly has appeared in the movie "Alien Autopsy."
4

What musical instrument can Declan Donnelly play?

Declan Donnelly can play the guitar.
5

Does Declan Donnelly have any tattoos?

No, Declan Donnelly does not have any tattoos.

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Career

Declan Donnelly first came to prominence for his portrayal of Duncan in ‘Byker Grove,’ a TV series that aired between 1989 and 2006. When he was 12, he saw an advertisement in a local newspaper looking for young actors for a TV show to be filmed in Newcastle. His father suggested that he audition for the show. He was successful in the audition, and it was on the ‘Byker Grove’ set that he met his future partner McPartlin. Donnelly also played the role of a stable boy in the adaptation of the novel ‘The Cinder Path’ in his early years.

With a strong friendship both on-screen and off-screen, Donnelly and McPartlin started doing shows as a duo, and started hosting the popular entertainment show ‘Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway’ in June 2002. In the show, they invite audience members to play some games and get a chance to win prizes. The duo also presents ITV's reality show ‘I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!’

In 2006, they returned to acting, and starred in the film ‘Alien Autopsy’, a humor film about two British boys who are accused of having faked a documentary. They also starred in the film ‘Love Actually’ and in the pantomime ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ at Sunderland's Empire Theatre, which was financially unsuccessful.

Next, they hosted ‘Britain's Got Talent’, which started in June 2007. In April 2009, the duo achieved wide international exposure when they interviewed ‘Britain's Got Talent’ contestant Susan Boyle.

They also hosted ‘The Royal Variety Performance’, a variety show held annually to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity. ‘Ant & Dec's ‘Push the Button’, a game show aired on ITV from February 2010 to April 2011, was also hosted by Donnelly and McPartlin. Then they proceeded to host ‘Red or Black?’, a TV game show, which was broadcast on ITV from September 2011 to September 2012.

The duo started their own production company Mitre Television to produce their own shows. They presented the annual Brit Awards in 2001, 2015, and 2016. In a 2004 BBC poll, Ant & Dec were named the 18th most influential people in British culture.

Ant & Dec have tried their hands in pop music as well. Their first single was titled ‘Tonight I'm Free’. After the single became successful, they recorded two albums under their character names ‘PJ & Duncan’. Their single ‘Let's Get Ready To Rhumble’, was also a big hit, which was also nominated for a BRIT Award. Then they recorded an album under their real names ‘Ant & Dec’. The album included their signature single ‘Shout’. In their musical career so far, they have released 16 singles and three studio albums, but none could peak to No. 1. Their highest UK chart position was No. 3.

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Controversies & Scandals

When Donnelly and McPartlin released a single called ‘Falling’, the track kindled considerable controversy. A Welsh pop duo claimed copyright infringement, and accused that Ant & Dec had stolen their song and released it without their consent. As a result, their record label, Telstar Records, pulled the track from the British charts, and dropped them from the label.

The duo was also involved in another case of allegations of fraud in 2007, when investigation auditors at the auditing firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu found that their game show ‘Marathon’ and ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ had defrauded viewers who participated via phone calls.

Personal Life

Declan Joseph Oliver 'Dec' Donnelly was born on September 25, 1975, in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, to Alphonsus Donnelly and Anne Donnelly. He has three sisters—Camelia, Moira, Patricia, and three brother—Eamonn, Dermott and Martin. His parents, who originally hail from Northern Ireland, migrated to Newcastle in the 1950s. Donnelly went to St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School and St Cuthbert's High School.

On November 13, 2014, Donnelly got engaged to his manager Ali Astall, whom he had been dating since 2013. They got married on August 1, 2015.

Donnelly likes to support charities—he is a patron of Sunshine Fund, and supports Text Santa and Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. He co-founded W4 Youth, a community youth project in West London, in 2013.

Facts About Declan Donnelly

Declan Donnelly's childhood nickname was "Little Dec" due to his smaller stature compared to his friend and long-time collaborator Ant McPartlin.

Despite his success in television, Declan Donnelly is known to be quite shy and reserved in his personal life.

Declan Donnelly is an avid supporter of the soccer team Newcastle United and often attends their matches.

In addition to his work in television, Declan Donnelly is also a talented musician and can play several instruments, including the guitar and piano.

Declan Donnelly is a dedicated philanthropist and has been involved in various charitable causes over the years, including supporting children's hospitals and cancer research.

2015	Best Light Entertainment Performance	Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)
2015	Best Light Entertainment Programme	Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)
2014	Best Light Entertainment Performance	Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)
2014	Best Light Entertainment Programme	Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)
2010	Best Entertainment Performance	I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2002)

Declan Donnelly Biography

You wanted to know

Is Declan Donnelly left-handed or right-handed?

What is Declan Donnelly's favorite football team?

Has Declan Donnelly ever appeared in a movie?

What musical instrument can Declan Donnelly play?

Does Declan Donnelly have any tattoos?