Declan Donnelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Declan Donnelly OBE
Donnelly in 2014
Born	Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly (1975-09-25) 25 September 1975 (age 49) Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Education	St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School St Cuthbert's High School
Occupation	Television presenter television producer former singer comedian actor rapper
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	Ali Astall ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	2

Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly (born 25 September 1975) is a famous British television presenter and producer. He is best known for being one half of the popular presenting duo Ant & Dec, alongside his best friend Ant McPartlin.

Declan, often called Dec, grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He first became well-known as a child actor in the TV show Byker Grove. After that, he and Ant built very successful careers as TV presenters. They are famous for hosting shows like SMTV Live, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, and Britain's Got Talent.

Early Life and School

Declan Donnelly was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. His parents, Alphonsus and Anne Donnelly, moved to England from Northern Ireland in the 1950s. Declan was one of seven children in his family.

He went to St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School. Later, he attended St Cuthbert's High School, an all-boys school, where he earned 8 GCSEs. For a while, Declan thought about becoming a Catholic priest. However, he changed his mind after seeing students from a nearby all-girls school.

Becoming a TV Star

Starting with Byker Grove

Declan's TV career began when he was just 12 years old. His dad saw an advertisement in a local newspaper for a new children's TV show called Byker Grove. Declan auditioned and got the part of a character named Duncan. This is where he first met Anthony McPartlin, who played PJ. Even though they lived in nearby areas, they had never met before the show. They worked together on Byker Grove until 1993, becoming close friends both at work and outside of it.

Ant & Dec: The Famous Duo

After their time on Byker Grove, Declan and Ant decided to work together as a presenting team. They had a children's TV show called 'The Ant and Dec Show' on BBC1. Then they moved to Channel 4 with 'Ant & Dec Unzipped'.

They became very popular on ITV with their Saturday morning children's show SMTV Live. After leaving SMTV Live in 2001, they started hosting many other big shows. These included game shows like Friends Like These and PokerFace. They also hosted talent shows such as Pop Idol and Britain's Got Talent. Their entertainment shows, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, became huge hits.

Declan and Ant also continued acting. They appeared in a TV tribute to The Likely Lads in 2002. In 2006, they starred in the film Alien Autopsy. They even have their own production company called Mitre Television, which helps create their shows.

Presenting Alone

In 2018, Declan presented some episodes of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and the live semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent by himself. This was because Ant McPartlin was taking a break.

Declan's Family Life

Declan has a close family. His brother, Father Dermott Donnelly, is a Catholic priest. Sadly, his father, Alphonsus, passed away in 2011 after battling cancer. His elder brother Dermott also passed away in 2022.

Declan married Ali Astall, who used to be the duo's manager, on 1 August 2015. His brother, Father Dermott, performed the ceremony, and Ant McPartlin was his best man. In 2018, Declan and Ali welcomed their first child, a daughter named Isla. In 2022, they had their second child, a son named Jack. They gave Jack the middle names 'Anthony' and 'Alphonsus' to honor Declan's best friend Ant and his late father.

Declan is a practicing Roman Catholic, but he prefers to keep his religious beliefs and family life private. He is also distantly related to American wrestling promoter Dixie Carter and footballer Aaron Donnelly.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Declan and Ant are very involved in charity work. They are patrons of the Sunshine Fund, a charity that helps children with disabilities. When their old pop song "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble" became popular again in 2012, they donated all the money from its success to ChildLine, a charity that supports young people. They also support the Text Santa appeal, which raises money for various charities.

Declan also supports the Youth Ministry Team of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. This team is directed by his older brother, Dermott. In 2013, they helped open the W4 Youth Centre, a place for young people.

Awards and Recognition

Declan Donnelly has received many awards throughout his career, mostly with Ant McPartlin. In 2016, he was given an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for his services to broadcasting and entertainment. This is a special honor given by the British Queen.

Here are some of the awards Declan and Ant have won or been nominated for:

National Television Awards

Declan and Ant have won the National Television Award for Most Popular TV Presenter for many years in a row, setting a Guinness World Record!

Shows and Films

Television Shows

Films

Television Advertisements

Declan has also appeared in many TV adverts with Ant: