Declan Donnelly is back on our screens as Britain's Got Talent keeps the nation captivated and acts perform to crown champion.
A huge part of the hit ITV show's massive appeal is the hilarious presenting duo of Ant and Dec. Off screen Dec is happily married to his talent manager wife, Ali Astall but he once left an ex-partner gutted.
The lovebirds have two kids together, their six-year-old daughter Isla, and their two-year-old son, Jack. Before tying the knot, Ali managed Dec's career for more than 10 years, and they used to keep each other company on days like Valentine's Day when they were both single.
Sharing a glimpse into their past with the Daily Express in 2014, Dec said, "We always hung out," recalling those moments that saw them leap from professional to personal. He added, "When she was single and I was single we'd go out for dinner on Valentine's Day together."
Reflecting on how their relationship evolved, the now 49-year-old TV favourite mentioned, "Last year we went out as a couple. It was a little strange because we've had a working relationship for so long." Dec has been no stranger to media focus on his love life even before his idyllic match with Ali.
Previously entwined in a high-profile romance with Clare Buckfield, known for 'Grange Hill' and 'Two Point Four Children', the pair were teenage sweethearts starting back in 1993, reports Coventry Live.
They shared a beautiful time together spanning ten years, which included setting up a stylish abode in London. Sadly, their fairy tale concluded rather tumultuously in 2002 amidst whispers of infidelity involving Dec and 23-year-old lap dancer Tina Benson, leaving Clare Buckfield in the throes of widely reported heartache, as covered by Birmingham Live.
Opening up about her tough breakup, Clare opened her heart and confessed: "Nobody can be prepared for something like that. It was horrible, painful and unbelievably difficult." She went on to reveal: "It was as bad as anyone would think it could be. We were together a very long time. I did think it would end up in marriage."
Known for her appearances in shows like Doctors, Holby City, and Steel River Blues, Clare has since become a mother to her son Johnny, who was born in 2013. Elsewhere, beloved TV personality Declan Donnelly shared some insights into how his relationship with his wife Ali had an unconventional start due to their previous professional relationship.
He admitted: "It was a little strange because we've had a working relationship for so long." Nonetheless, he also divulged: "But because it just happened there was no big ta-da. Things couldn't be better for me at the minute."
The couple started seeing each other in 2014 and by the end of the year, they were engaged. Dec recounted the romantic moment he proposed on an Australian beach during sunset, right before filming for ' I'm A Celebrity'.
He reminisced: "We went round to one side of the island, the only place on the island where you can see the sun set, and we just went round and we watched the sunset go down and we did it there, it was lovely," he said. Dec and Ali ultimately exchanged vows at St Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Elswick, in a ceremony officiated by Dec's brother Father Dermott Donnelly, who sadly passed away in 2022. Ant McPartlin, Dec’s co-star and close friend, stood by him as his best man.
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