Declan Donnelly is a father of two children – daughter Isla, five, and son Jack, 19 months – with wife Ali Astall.
And, as much as he clearly loves parenthood, it seems as though Dec might go to work for a bit of a break after a quip he made to presenting partner Ant McPartlin on Saturday Night Takeaway in March.
Declan Donnelly in hilarious comment about his children
At the end of the show’s Win The Ads segment, the audience member was asked: “A survey revealed the naughtiest children’s names according to parents and teachers. What name topped the naughty boys list – Louis or Jack?”
Jack is the naughtiest boys’ name – I can definitely confirm that.
She correctly answered Jack, with Dec heard mumbling in the background: “I can confirm that.”
“Is Jack naughty?” Ant asked his pal of his young son. “Jack is the naughtiest boys’ name – I can definitely confirm that,” Dec chuckled.
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‘We need a break’
Jack, who was born in the summer of 2022, was a surprise addition to the family – for fans, at least.
The first we heard of it was when Dec posted a picture of the tot on Instagram. He captioned the post: “Shortly before 10am yesterday, 23.7.2022, Ali and I welcomed the arrival of our son, Jack Anthony Alphonsus, a very welcome ray of light. He is wonderful and Isla is beyond excited to be a big sister!”
Jack is named after Dec’s best pal Ant and his late father Alphonsus. He arrived shortly after the tragic death of Dec’s brother Father Dermott.
And his children are part of the reason that Dec stepped away from Saturday Night Takeaway after 20 series.
Speaking to Fault magazine this year, Ant said: “Part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family. We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.”
Ahead of the series launch, the boys also said that the break meant they could stop and “catch our breath”.
‘Becoming a dad completely transformed me’
Speaking about fatherhood in their autobiography, Dec said: “Becoming a dad has completely transformed me. At first, like all expectant parents, I didn’t truly understand how much it was going to change me.
“I just thought it was another little person coming to live in the house. It opened up a whole other side to me, a side I didn’t know existed. I felt a love that I didn’t realise it was possible to feel.”
Ant recently became a dad for the first time, welcoming son Wilder in May 2024.
Read more: Ant and Dec have insured each other and will get a big payout when one dies
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