Star Facts
- Dec is the youngest of seven children
- He was best man at his best pal Ant's wedding to Lisa Armstrong
- Dec had a small cameo in the blockbuster hit romcom Love, Actually
- Since they starred together in Byker Grove, Dec has never appeared on TV without his showbiz partner Ant
Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly Quotes
I hope everyone, once in their life can find the friendship I have with Ant
Biography:
Born in Newcastle in September 1975, Dec is the youngest of seven children - he has three brothers and three sisters. His parents are Northern Irish and Dec attended a Catholic primary school and then the boys-only Roman Catholic school St. Cuthbert’s.
Dec first came to our attention in 1989 in the hit teen soap Byker Grove, set in a Geordie youth club. It was here, aged 12, that Dec met best pal Anthony McPartlin and the nation’s favourite telly double-act was born.
Ant and Dec, or PJ and Duncan as they were then, became not just teen TV heartthrobs but top teen pop stars too. They had some serious chart success in the UK with hits like Let’s Get Ready To Rumble and When I Fall In Love both making it into the top ten.
Their cheeky-chappy personalities and obvious chemistry in front of the camera meant they were in demand from TV executives from the get-go. Dec has been presenting alongside Ant ever since, with the pair becoming ITV’s biggest stars, fronting shows like SM:TV and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway as well as the high-profile shows Britain’s Got Talent and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Dec dated fellow teen actor and Grange Hill star Clare Buckfield for ten years from 1993 to 2003 and most recently dated Sky Sports presenter Georgie Thompson from 2009 until their amicable split in April 2011.