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17 November 2023, 16:07
Declan Donnelly is one of the UK's most successful and popular TV presenters of all time.
Alongside Ant McPartlin, Ant & Dec have been ever-present on British TV since the early 1990s.
Ant & Dec met while working on the children's TV drama Byker Grove in 1989. After a wobbly start, they soon became best friends.
It is reported that they are each insured against the other's death, with the amount reportedly being around £1 million.
After a successful music career, they soon moved into presenting TV, and currently host Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Britain's Got Talent, and Limitless Win.
Previous shows include SMTV Live, CD:UK, Friends Like These, Pop Idol, PokerFace, Push the Button, Red or Black?, and Text Santa. They also presented the Brit Awards in 2001, 2015 and 2016.
The presenting duo were appointed an OBE in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to broadcast and entertainment.
Here's all the big and important facts about the popular star:
Dec was born on September 25, 1975. He celebrated his 48th birthday in 2023.
He is the child of Irish parents Alphonsus and Anne Donnelly, who originally lived in Desertmartin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, before moving to Newcastle in the 1950s.
He is among seven children the couple raised in the council estate of Cruddas Park, with Dec having three brothers – Martin, Eamonn and Dermott – and three sisters – Patricia, Moyra and Camalia.
In November 2014, Dec became engaged to his manager Ali Astall, with whom he had been dating for over a year.
Their marriage took place at St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Elswick, Tyne and Wear, on August 1, 2015. His brother Father Dermott Donnelly, a Catholic priest, presided over the ceremony, with Ant as his best man.
In September 2018, Ali gave birth to a daughter, named Isla Elizabeth Anne.
In July 2022, Dec and Ali welcomed their second child, Jack Anthony Alphonsus Donnelly, whose middle name was chosen in tribute to his grandfathers.
Dec is thought to be around 5ft 5½in (166.4 cm) tall, compared to Ant's 5ft 8in (172.7 cm).