Declan Donnelly admits silent health struggle and ‘voices in his head’
In their first ever podcast appearance, Ant and Dec have opened up about their anxiety issues, parenthood and their long-running TV careers
Ant and Dec spoke out in first podcast interview(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Declan Donnelly has spoken for the first time about his silent health battle. The TV star shared he has “constant anxiety” and the feeling that he should always be doing something, admitting he “can never sit down”. Donnelly revealed that he sought therapy around five or six years ago and found it incredibly beneficial. The revelation came during an appearance on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, where he was joined by his co-host and long-time friend Anthony McPartlin.
The duo, famously known as Ant and Dec, rose to stardom in their teenage years. They discussed fatherhood and how they’ve grown to appreciate their enduring careers more as they’ve aged. When questioned about his mental health, I’m A Celebrity host Donnelly confessed: “I struggle a bit with, it’s kind of a low level, constant anxiety about ‘should be doing this’ or ‘I’ve got to be doing…
“I never feel I can sit down and just watch telly, I always feel like I should be doing something else. There’s that anxiety that there’s a job that needs to be done somewhere and I should be doing it.
“I struggle with that a lot, with trying to calm that voice in the back of your head that’s going, ‘no, you should be using this time more productively’. I went through a period of having therapy about five, five or six years ago. I really got a lot out of it. I really enjoyed it.”
Donnelly shared that after taking a break from therapy, when he tried to book another session, the therapist informed him that he couldn’t see him.
He added: “He did recommend somebody else and I’ve still got those details, I just haven’t managed to make an appointment yet.”
Donnelly, marking his first-ever appearance on a podcast, emphasised that they take their roles “incredibly seriously”.
The Geordie duo has fronted numerous primetime entertainment shows over the years, including Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain’s Got Talent and Ant And Dec’s Limitless Win.
Donnelly shared: “When we’re looking at projects, we always look at how can we get the whole family together?”.
“To entertain the whole family is no mean feat, and you’ve got to try and grab each generation and entertain them. It’s entertainment, it’s fun, but we take it incredibly seriously.”
McPartlin chimed in: “We do the best job in the world. We have a laugh every day.m We’ve hosted some turkeys over the years. It hasn’t always been a success. t’s a privilege to be in someone’s living room on a Saturday night hosting a big show.”
On the topic of fatherhood, McPartlin admitted he now has to mind his language around his 19-month-old son.
“I’m getting told off a lot for swearing in the house,” he confessed. Donnelly revealed on the podcast that his seven-year-old daughter, Isla, requests to watch I’m Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! but he hesitates as it airs after the watershed. He also mentioned his three-year-old son, Jack, adding: “I’m not sure my kids should be watching my TV show.”
The duo also revealed they’re launching their own podcast series together, Hanging Out With Ant & Dec, which kicks off later this week.
“It’s really exciting,” Donnelly explained, revealing they’d actually recorded a pilot for a podcast “about 15 years ago” in a pub, but hadn’t taken it further at the time.
Last week, the pair issued an apology after promoting the new podcast with a video that faced backlash for its “suicide imagery” showing feet dangling above the ground.
In a statement to BBC News, they said: “We did not mean to cause any offence with this promo video and we are sorry if it upset anyone.”
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