Declan Donnelly Opens Up About Distance from Ant McPartlin and Personal Anxiety
Television presenter Declan Donnelly has candidly discussed the evolving dynamics of his partnership with best friend Ant McPartlin, revealing that geographical separation and fatherhood have created the greatest distance between them in their decades-long career.
The Geographical and Lifestyle Divide
In a recent interview, Donnelly explained that the decision to launch a podcast with McPartlin stemmed directly from their reduced time together. "We're now dads to very small children," Donnelly stated. "The little ones especially take up a lot of time and effort and energy. I love them dearly, but we don't hang out as much as we used to."
The situation has been compounded by McPartlin's recent house move. "Ant's moved house now, geographically we're further away from each other than we've ever been," Donnelly revealed. This physical separation means their casual interactions have diminished significantly.
"So we don't get the chance to hang out as much and talk rubbish anymore," Donnelly continued, "so we decided to come up with the idea of doing a podcast to sit together and talk some rubbish and let you join in too."
Family Commitments and New Ventures
Both presenters, now 50, have embraced fatherhood with young children dominating their schedules. Donnelly shares two children with his wife Ali Astall:
- Daughter Isla, born in 2018
- Son Jack, born in 2022
Meanwhile, McPartlin has a baby son Wilder with his wife Anne-Marie Corbett, alongside co-parenting her two teenage daughters from a previous relationship.
While this marks their first official podcast as hosts, the duo recently made their podcast debut as guests on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place, where they reflected on their multi-decade television careers.
Donnelly's Silent Struggle with Anxiety
Beyond discussing his professional partnership, Donnelly opened up about his personal mental health challenges. The I'm A Celebrity host admitted to experiencing persistent, low-level anxiety that affects his daily life.
"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...'" Donnelly confessed. "I never feel I can sit down and just watch telly, I always feel like I should be doing something else."
This internal pressure manifests as a voice questioning his use of time. "There's that anxiety that there's a job that needs to be done somewhere and I should be doing it," he explained. "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.'"
Therapy Journey and Current Challenges
Donnelly revealed he sought professional help approximately five to six years ago. "I went through a period of having therapy about five, five or six years ago," he shared. "I really got a lot out of it. I really enjoyed it."
However, when he attempted to return to therapy more recently, he encountered obstacles. His original therapist was unavailable and recommended another professional, but Donnelly admitted he hasn't yet managed to schedule an appointment despite having the contact details.
Despite these personal challenges, Donnelly confirmed that their podcast venture isn't entirely new territory. The pair actually recorded a pilot episode approximately fifteen years ago but never developed the project further at that time.
The interview provided rare insight into the personal lives and struggles of one of Britain's most beloved television partnerships, revealing how fatherhood, distance, and personal wellbeing are reshaping their legendary collaboration.
